Author Archives: admin

Every year on the Thanksgiving point property, Cornbelly’s sets up a large Halloween Corn Maze. This started about 10 years ago, and has grown (all puns intended, and yes, I know they are corny! Double PUN for the WIN!) into a rather large Halloween attraction. Every year since we have been here in Utah, save last year, we have gone together as a Family. Two years ago it was so freezing cold that all the kids were crying, in pain and miserable, even with three layers of coats and jackets. Last year weather was bad and money was tight and it just didn’t fit in. This year we were determined to not only make it there… but make it there when the weather was good enough that we could actually enjoy it.

Well, long story short (too late) we did make it there, and it was not so bitterly cold that we were cursing our Halloween fate. All day the sky was dark and foreboding. The wind whipped around in gusts of 50 miles per hour in some spots. Rain dripped from the sky here and there teasing the world with a threat of gushing at any moment. We pointed to the sky and tried to talk the kids out of going… but looking at our schedule between then and Halloween, if we didn’t go that night; we were going to miss it for a second year in a row.

So, we piled into Super Van (the official name of our super awesome 15 passenger van) and headed out to Cornbellys. Off to the West a few streaks of sunlight crept through giving us small amounts of hope that the weather might hold out.

No matter how you spin it, with a family as large as ours, going to these types of attractions is not cheap. Busbyberkly had a coupon from school and as Thanksgiving Point members we got an additional 25% off… but still as Carrie and I handed over our debit card to pay for entrance we just saw the sky ready to mock our efforts and flush our money down a wet, cold and muddy disaster.

Things started out great. The kids LOVED the giant rocking chair. They were determined to have a good time no matter what. In the year since we had visited Cornbelly’s they had added a number of new attractions and the kids were very excited to give them all a try.

The First was the giant slide. The kids saw this as we pulled in and couldn’t wait to give it a go. Link and Cougar went down 5 times each. They were only stopped by the announcement that the Pig Races (yes, you read that correctly, PIG RACES) were about to start. We ran over to the Piggy Race track and found some seats. The races went well, and our pig won every time. While the weather was holding out, we wanted to do the kid’s corn maze. It is a much smaller and less “mazey” maze. In years past you would just wander through it and pretend to get lost a couple times. This year they added a fun twist that made it much more enjoyable. At each intersection, you were to spin a wheel and it gave you instructions for you to follow as you made your way to the next stop. Our first wheel instructed us to walk with our hands on our knees.

After the Maze we decided that the weather just might hold out and wandered around to enjoy the rest of the attractions. The weather held up, and we ended up staying there until well after bedtime. As we marched back to super van, the kids declared it the best visit to Cornbelly’s ever.

The other night I was walking down the road to a friend’s house to work on some homework, when I had the chance to meet a really neat person. Since I live in a neighborhood of predominantly college students, I couldn't help but notice an older woman walking up ahead of me. She was carrying some grocery bags and appeared to be struggling with them. As I walked past I asked if she could use some help. It turned out that she lived not far from there, but had already been walking a long time and was very tired. I took over some of the bags and we chatted pleasantly for a couple blocks until she was comfortably settled in her home. It only took an extra 15 minutes, and I made a new friend.

I’m not telling you this to brag about my good citizenship or my candidacy for the “Assisting the Elderly” merit badge, but because it made me realize something. I have lived in the same neighborhood for three years, and have never happened to see this woman before. It made me wonder how many other people go by every day, unnoticed, and in need of a friend or small service. I think I am usually too busy talking to others or frantically reading an assignment on my way to class to really notice what is going on outside of my sphere.

Let’s make every day a Make a Difference Day. I want to challenge us all to take a look outside ourselves and our busy lives and see who could use our help. It could be as simple as smiling more at the people you walk past, or inviting someone over for a meal. You could organize a service project with friends or family, offer to help someone weather-proof their home, or give someone a ride to the grocery store. These can be great opportunities to become better acquainted with those around us and to teach children the importance of helping others. I know that in my past, simple things like a kind gesture or getting an unexpected ride during gross weather have made all the difference in the world to me, and having the chance to “pay it forward” is really exciting. We never know what those around us might be dealing with, but with the right attitude and willing hands, we can reach out and make a difference in one anothers lives, and bit by bit make the world a better place. Happy Make a Difference Day!

I love watching the news. I always have. It makes me feel connected to the world outside my nine to five job and daily routine. When a disaster strikes, I become glued to the news. I can’t seem to stop watching because as a native of a landlocked southern state, I’ve never experienced a devastating hurricane. And for that, I feel fortunate.

In the last week, nearly every news channel broadcasted heartbreaking pictures of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The super storm left extensive devastation in its wake, with fires, flooding, and a widespread loss of power. The videos and stories remind me of how much I have to be thankful for this holiday season and how I need to better prepare myself and my family for such a disaster.

While I’ve never personally lived through a hurricane like Sandy, I do live in a part of the country that experiences frequent severe storm warnings and tornado watches. I live right in the heart of Tornado Alley—only hours from cities that have experienced some of the worst tornadoes in our nation’s history. These whirling monsters have the ability to destroy everything in their paths and they can strike when people least expect them. As I listen to the stories about the aftermath of Sandy, I’ve begun to think more seriously about my own emergency preparedness.

As a newly married couple, my husband and I are purchasing our first home and trying to figure out how to protect ourselves from such a devastating situation. While our home will have insurance, we still need a relief system in place so that we have sufficient food and water if a disaster ever strikes. But food storage can be expensive. And as a young couple, food storage is often the last thing we want to pay for—especially bland food that’s just going to sit on our shelf for several decades.

But fortunately, three months ago, I was introduced to a wonderful company that provided me with a way to stock my food storage and cook delicious meals for my family. eFoodsDirect has a wide variety of food items that are not only delicious; they are nutritious. Instead of paying top dollar for a product that I’ll hopefully never have to use and one that will just collect dust on my shelf, I can purchase eFoodsDirect products that I can either save as food storage or cook now for my family dinners. These products have a shelf life of 25 years, but they also make tasty dinner entrees now.

eFoodsDirect gives me an economical way to feel prepared for disasters and to enjoy delicious products today. I feel better prepared, and in a world of somber news stories, eFoods is good news to me.