Well, we’re out, and we’re back in again!

Renaissance Festival ‘08 is in! Huzzah! We all decided we’d rather go there than to Disneyland. Our oldest boy decided he couldn’t go with us to Disneyland after all, and he’s half the reason we all wanted to go. When he had to cancel, we all decided we wanted to go back to RenFaire! I’m thrilled!

It’s a recent decision. We weren’t sure for a long time. We really didn’t want to disappoint the boys. We were going to go ahead and go to Disneyland and just not take Dan and Sarrah, but once we finally told Jonathan and Josiah that we were going alone, they said they didn’t want to go without them, and they’d rather go to Renaissance. I was surprised, to say the least. I even tried to explain to them that Disneyland is a dream vacation, rides, thrills, fun, blah, blah, and I’d still happily take them if they wanted to go, but they were sure about it. So, to the Faire we’ll go!

Naturally I went right away to the Arizona Renaissance Festival web site to check things out and found out some more wonderful news. Last year we saw a group of musicians called Tartanic, and we just loved them! Great music, and great showmen! If you are listening to the music that I have posted with this blog entry, then you are hearing them. If not, slide over and check out the video I have of them on the front page of my myspace: myspace.com/rhendap. Anyway, when we got home and looked for them on the internet, we were really sad to find out wthat it was their very last show. They decided to go their separate ways. Well, one of the guys from the band took the name and re-formed the band (http://www.tartanic.net/Tartanic.net.html) with some different members, and LO! They will be performimg live there again this year!

Chris is still going with us. He’s is another big Ren-head like we are. I’m glad he still gets to go. I was sure he wouldn’t miss it if there were any way! I’m pretty sure he planned to wear armour, but I don’t know. He has plate maille, and we reminded him that a big, metal suit might not mix well with hot, Phoenician sun. He has other garb to wear, I’d wager. I wish I did! I gave up on making any a long time ago when we decided we weren’t going. Now that we decided we are going again, it’s way too late to fashion anything. At least I still have my chain maille necklace that my husband made me. I’ll be wearing that!

All this is next weekend! Wow! That’s soon! I just finished booking a room in a hotel down close to the place where the Faire is held every year. We got a room with a separate bedroom for us, and a hide-a-bed in a different room for Chris. That should work out well. Maybe we can put Jonathan out there with him. Jonathan griped so much the last time we stayed in a hotel because dad snored too much and too loudly, and he couldn’t sleep! I heard about it for weeks! The first thing he asked me about when we started planning a vacation was if he had to sleep in the same room with dad again. Sheesh!

The Renaissance Festival and the hotel we’ll be staying in are on the farthest side of Phoenix. Actually, the Faire is all the way over in Queen Creek. That probably adds a couple of extra hours to the trip. We’re going to leave after work on Friday and drive all the way down there and check in late. Then, first thing Saturday morning we’ll get up and eat, and then… go back in time! Then that same evening, probably around six or seven o’clock, whenever the Faire closes, we’ll head back home. That doesn’t leave any spare time on either end, but we’re all really excited about it anyway. I’m glad we found a room on that side of the city! I wouldn’t have wanted to get up and face a long drive over there first thing, and then spend all day walking around and still be facing the long trip home. There will already be plenty enough activity and traveling on Saturday without that.

Oh, I’m going to drink it all in! I love going! It’s so much fun! I enjoy looking at all the wonderful hand made items that the artisans sell! I love the music, the people, the atmosphere, all of it! We’ve a wee bit of extra coin in our purses this year, so I already have some ideas about what I want to buy. Our youngest boy wants a sword. The last two Faires we attended the boys both got wooden swords. They’ve played with them until they were little more than splinters. This time Josiah wants a real one. He’ll probably have to settle for a dagger for now. He’s only eight! I think a sword is a bit much! Jonathan will buy keepsakes, souvenier coins, necklaces, or something like that, I imagine. He likes that sort of thing. My husband wants a sword, a pair of boots, a suit of armour, some bagpipes, chain maille, steak on a stick and a tankard of ale… to start off with! He’s a medieval kind of guy!

This year we have a nice camera to take, and we plan on breaking it in right! I’m going to get pictures of everything that interests me, close ups of all the hand made stuff. Call it fuel for the creative fires for me to peruse when I get back home! I’ll have lots of up close and personal pictures of the things I want to try to make, and by golly, I’ll learn how! We had a setting on our camera set wrong last time we were there, and only came away with about a half a dozen decent pictures. This year not so! I want pictures of everything! My husband is a real shutter-bug, so I’m sure I can get as many as I can possibly want.

Wow, I’m excited! Less than a week away! I hope I can sleep!

Well, we’re out, and we’re back in again!

Renaissance Festival ‘08 is in! Huzzah! We all decided we’d rather go there than to Disneyland. Our oldest boy decided he couldn’t go with us to Disneyland after all, and he’s half the reason we all wanted to go. When he had to cancel, we all decided we wanted to go back to RenFaire! I’m thrilled!

It’s a recent decision. We weren’t sure for a long time. We really didn’t want to disappoint the boys. We were going to go ahead and go to Disneyland and just not take Dan and Sarrah, but once we finally told Jonathan and Josiah that we were going alone, they said they didn’t want to go without them, and they’d rather go to Renaissance. I was surprised, to say the least. I even tried to explain to them that Disneyland is a dream vacation, rides, thrills, fun, blah, blah, and I’d still happily take them if they wanted to go, but they were sure about it. So, to the Faire we’ll go!

Naturally I went right away to the Arizona Renaissance Festival web site to check things out and found out some more wonderful news. Last year we saw a group of musicians called Tartanic, and we just loved them! Great music, and great showmen! If you are listening to the music that I have posted with this blog entry, then you are hearing them. If not, slide over and check out the video I have of them on the front page of my myspace: myspace.com/rhendap. Anyway, when we got home and looked for them on the internet, we were really sad to find out wthat it was their very last show. They decided to go their separate ways. Well, one of the guys from the band took the name and re-formed the band (http://www.tartanic.net/Tartanic.net.html) with some different members, and LO! They will be performimg live there again this year!

Chris is still going with us. He’s is another big Ren-head like we are. I’m glad he still gets to go. I was sure he wouldn’t miss it if there were any way! I’m pretty sure he planned to wear armour, but I don’t know. He has plate maille, and we reminded him that a big, metal suit might not mix well with hot, Phoenician sun. He has other garb to wear, I’d wager. I wish I did! I gave up on making any a long time ago when we decided we weren’t going. Now that we decided we are going again, it’s way too late to fashion anything. At least I still have my chain maille necklace that my husband made me. I’ll be wearing that!

All this is next weekend! Wow! That’s soon! I just finished booking a room in a hotel down close to the place where the Faire is held every year. We got a room with a separate bedroom for us, and a hide-a-bed in a different room for Chris. That should work out well. Maybe we can put Jonathan out there with him. Jonathan griped so much the last time we stayed in a hotel because dad snored too much and too loudly, and he couldn’t sleep! I heard about it for weeks! The first thing he asked me about when we started planning a vacation was if he had to sleep in the same room with dad again. Sheesh!

The Renaissance Festival and the hotel we’ll be staying in are on the farthest side of Phoenix. Actually, the Faire is all the way over in Queen Creek. That probably adds a couple of extra hours to the trip. We’re going to leave after work on Friday and drive all the way down there and check in late. Then, first thing Saturday morning we’ll get up and eat, and then… go back in time! Then that same evening, probably around six or seven o’clock, whenever the Faire closes, we’ll head back home. That doesn’t leave any spare time on either end, but we’re all really excited about it anyway. I’m glad we found a room on that side of the city! I wouldn’t have wanted to get up and face a long drive over there first thing, and then spend all day walking around and still be facing the long trip home. There will already be plenty enough activity and traveling on Saturday without that.

Oh, I’m going to drink it all in! I love going! It’s so much fun! I enjoy looking at all the wonderful hand made items that the artisans sell! I love the music, the people, the atmosphere, all of it! We’ve a wee bit of extra coin in our purses this year, so I already have some ideas about what I want to buy. Our youngest boy wants a sword. The last two Faires we attended the boys both got wooden swords. They’ve played with them until they were little more than splinters. This time Josiah wants a real one. He’ll probably have to settle for a dagger for now. He’s only eight! I think a sword is a bit much! Jonathan will buy keepsakes, souvenier coins, necklaces, or something like that, I imagine. He likes that sort of thing. My husband wants a sword, a pair of boots, a suit of armour, some bagpipes, chain maille, steak on a stick and a tankard of ale… to start off with! He’s a medieval kind of guy!

This year we have a nice camera to take, and we plan on breaking it in right! I’m going to get pictures of everything that interests me, close ups of all the hand made stuff. Call it fuel for the creative fires for me to peruse when I get back home! I’ll have lots of up close and personal pictures of the things I want to try to make, and by golly, I’ll learn how! We had a setting on our camera set wrong last time we were there, and only came away with about a half a dozen decent pictures. This year not so! I want pictures of everything! My husband is a real shutter-bug, so I’m sure I can get as many as I can possibly want.

Wow, I’m excited! Less than a week away! I hope I can sleep!