Vala's 2011

Hey friends, listen closely and I'm going to tell you how to take a family of five to Vala's for $8. Yes, folks, that's right, just eight buck-a-roos (and have a fantastic day in the process!)

First off, make sure you have a preschooler at the YMCA. Then, make sure either Mom or Dad goes along as a chaperone (that's where you'll spend the $8--to get M or D in with the preschool). While you're there, you'll get to spend time with your #1 boy and a class full of some very cute 4 yr olds! You'll get to take group pictures...

Ride the train ("Be sure to open your eyes, Christian and Maren!"), and pick out your very own pumpkin (not pictured, but it's cute with a long stem).

Then, once the preschool gets back on the bus, you and said parent (this time it was Daddy) stay behind and wait for the rest of your clan to arrive!

On Mom's end, she and Kari have packed lunches and are picking up Emily from school and driving out to meet Christian and Daddy. Mom remembers to bring the free passes that her grandma had given her last year (b/c she'd ordered her local newspaper and they'd given her two free passes) along with a coupon for a free train ride for up to 4 people that she'd found in a little adventure book that the library passes out each summer. Armed with her coupons, Mom and the girls meet the boys inside of Vala's for an afternoon of fun! Kari enjoyed petting the animals...

And then everyone enjoyed pretending to be one of the animals themselves!

The slides were also a big favorite for all three of the kiddos.

After seeing a "dragon feeding," the pig races (yes, pig races, folks, this is Nebraska!), and some lunch, we headed over to the huge jumping pillows!

Emily loves to strike a cute pose :-). This was Kari's first time (independently) jumping. First, Daddy did help.

Then, she ventured out on her own! Big girl, eh?

Next up, our free train ride! (On a side note, normally, I wouldn't "brag" about getting such a good deal on things. However, if you know how much it normally costs to take a family there for the day, you'd be shouting from the rafters if you got a deal too!)

Kari could hardly wait to get on the train! She has been very into Thomas lately and couldn't stop "Whoo-whooing" until we were saftely on board! (The picture above is when Kari saw the train pulling up to the platform.)

Whoo-whoo!!

Finally, we took our traditional family picture with Mickey. Everyone actually looks pretty good, eh?! (The baby doll in the picture is a bit creepy, but, with out it, Kari would be making a very unhappy face since by this time it was time for her nap!)

So, that was our super-fantastic how-to-do-Vala's-on-a-budget day! (I do have to confess though, I did treat myself to a funnel-cake...haven't had one since I was about 15! And we did buy a couple of smaller pumpkins...sooooo, we spent just a little more than $8, but not too much!)

Happy Pumpkining!!!!