Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Garden is Growing
Donald built two castlewall raised beds this spring. We have a wonderful garden growing now and the kids love to see the changes that occur on a daily basis.
We have sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers, and a giant pumpkin for Joe & some birdhouse gourds for Macy. In the other bed we have various peppers, sweet onions, and a few carrots.
We started some strawberries from bare roots and planted them in the hanging baskets on the patio. D wanted cherry tomatoes, so we bought 2 small plants and planted them in the other hanging baskets.
You can see our continuous progress here:
http://www.slide.com/r/_egH8iNf6j8Fpc123bPn2o0iIGIZobgU?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original
We have sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers, and a giant pumpkin for Joe & some birdhouse gourds for Macy. In the other bed we have various peppers, sweet onions, and a few carrots.
We started some strawberries from bare roots and planted them in the hanging baskets on the patio. D wanted cherry tomatoes, so we bought 2 small plants and planted them in the other hanging baskets.
You can see our continuous progress here:
http://www.slide.com/r/_egH8iNf6j8Fpc123bPn2o0iIGIZobgU?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Two Teeth in One Day
This morning I was upstairs getting ready and the kids were making breakfast. I heard Macy screaming, but figured they were bugging eachother again. She came up, very distressed and told me that her tooth fell out while eating her honey sandwich! She's had one loose tooth for about a month now, and the second one was just starting to wobble. However, last night she was playing with Daddy and smashed her mouth on his knee and really loosened that second tooth. That was the one that came out in the sandwich! She was prepared for the OTHER tooth to come out and was upset that it wasn't the "right" one. (See attached pics. The first one is immediately after losing her first tooth. The second pic is after she has composed herself and come to terms with the loss.)
I was not quite prepared for Tooth Fairy duty. I stopped by the bank this afternoon and picked up some 3 Sacajawea dollars and one Jefferson dollar (that's all the bank had!). Not 20 minutes ago I was in painting her Tooth Fairy Box and heard Macy come in from the back yard to have a quick snack...a granola bar. Do you sense a theme? She's an expert now and didn't miss a beat when tooth #2 came out. She just stuck her head around the corner and said "Mama, my other tooth came out. It's on the table if you want it". Then she finished her bar and went out to play.
Two teeth in one day and I missed the big moment for BOTH of them!
I was not quite prepared for Tooth Fairy duty. I stopped by the bank this afternoon and picked up some 3 Sacajawea dollars and one Jefferson dollar (that's all the bank had!). Not 20 minutes ago I was in painting her Tooth Fairy Box and heard Macy come in from the back yard to have a quick snack...a granola bar. Do you sense a theme? She's an expert now and didn't miss a beat when tooth #2 came out. She just stuck her head around the corner and said "Mama, my other tooth came out. It's on the table if you want it". Then she finished her bar and went out to play.
Two teeth in one day and I missed the big moment for BOTH of them!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mobile Blogging
I'm going to try the mobile Blogging today. I'm sitting on the patio enjoying the beautiful morning with the kids.
It's been 7 months since my last post and, as you can imagine, much has happened. I have lots of pictures and details about it all, but that will have to wait until I'm at my computer. Here's a quick summary:
We traveled to Del Rio, Texas to visit D's parents for 2 weeks in November, started Zumba classes a couple of days a week, and had a quiet Thanksgiving at home. The kids went with Nana & Papa on the Polar Express Train in December, Donald & I hiked almost to the top of Picacho Peak, and I found that I was pregnant. We visited D's family in NM before Christmas and Nana & Papa right after and excitedly shared our joyful news with the ringing in of the New Year.
We lost the baby at 12 weeks. It was the most emotionally and physically painful time in my life. I quit Zumba, took a break from my coordinator role at MOPS, and had to re-evaluate what is really important in my life.
I have since finished my term as MOPS coordinator, seen Joey through a successful preschool year & started kindergarten with him, which he loves! Macy is doing a wonderful job in her 1st grade year and will be starting 2nd grade shortly.
We have built two raised garden beds that are producing some magnificent plants.
Donald has been given the privilege of being a Deacon at our church this year and we are becoming more involved with church activities. In fact, D & Joey will be attending a men's retreat in the White Mountains in 2 weeks. (Joe can't wait to go camping!)
I am still working part time at Hungry Howie's. It is a nice break from my role as homeschooling mommy & wife! I have also started taking Zumba classes again thanks to the encouragement of my friend (and amazing babysitter) Sara!
Donald and I are taking the One Month to Live Challenge this month, which is not only eye-opening to how satisfied D & I really are with our lives, but it is helping me realize how I want to genuinely spend my time. And the quiet evenings with Donald as we read and reflect on that day's lesson is fulfilling.
I will slowly add posts with links to pictures about our past events. However, I do like this mobile Blogging from my phone while I sit out with the kids!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Joey & Brooklyn
On Monday Joey drove his Jeep over to Brooklyn's house and took her for a ride. He's been wanting to take her out for months!
They just drove around the neighborhood and Joey, who usually likes to go fast, kept the Jeep in 1st gear so Brooklyn wouldn't get scared. He even stopped to pick some flowers for her!
He did let her drive, but she couldn't reach the gas pedal. He hopped in and pushed the pedal while she steered the Jeep along the sidewalk.
They just drove around the neighborhood and Joey, who usually likes to go fast, kept the Jeep in 1st gear so Brooklyn wouldn't get scared. He even stopped to pick some flowers for her!
He did let her drive, but she couldn't reach the gas pedal. He hopped in and pushed the pedal while she steered the Jeep along the sidewalk.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Macy & Joey were little gray mice for Halloween this year. Donald took them all over the neighborhood (a 2-hour trek), while I was at work. Did you know that Halloween is the busiest day for pizza? There is actually more business than Superbowl Sunday!
Anyway, Macy & Joey came home with overflowing buckets of candy this year. They are getting older and keep a closer eye on their stash, which makes it more challenging for Mommy & Daddy to sneak some bites!
Anyway, Macy & Joey came home with overflowing buckets of candy this year. They are getting older and keep a closer eye on their stash, which makes it more challenging for Mommy & Daddy to sneak some bites!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Arizona State Fair
Once again I sent off for our free tickets and parking pass for the Arizona State Fair in Phoenix as part of the homeschooler days. On Wednesday, October 27th, Donald took the day off and we headed up to Phoenix.
The kids loved looking at the chickens, turkeys, ducks, goats, pigs, sheep, cows, & horses. This year they had a "Days of the Dinosaurs" exhibit of scale model animated dinos. Macy thought is was fantastic while Joey was was pretty much terrified.
Then it was off to the midway to ride the rides and eat the great carnival food. Macy had no fear this year. She made me go on the roller coaster (where I screamed the entire time - she did not), and the Grand View ferris wheel that is over 15 stories tall (I cried).
We spent tons of $$ on rides and ate only the best sugary foods for dinner & dessert (Yes, we let them have ice cream for dinner and cotton candy for dessert).
It was Donald's idea to ride G Force, but Macy went right along with him!
Once again, we spent the entire day at the fair, had a great family time, and didn't get home until after 11pm! The next morning I asked the kids what they wanted to do..."Go to the Fair!"
The kids loved looking at the chickens, turkeys, ducks, goats, pigs, sheep, cows, & horses. This year they had a "Days of the Dinosaurs" exhibit of scale model animated dinos. Macy thought is was fantastic while Joey was was pretty much terrified.
Then it was off to the midway to ride the rides and eat the great carnival food. Macy had no fear this year. She made me go on the roller coaster (where I screamed the entire time - she did not), and the Grand View ferris wheel that is over 15 stories tall (I cried).
We spent tons of $$ on rides and ate only the best sugary foods for dinner & dessert (Yes, we let them have ice cream for dinner and cotton candy for dessert).
It was Donald's idea to ride G Force, but Macy went right along with him!
Once again, we spent the entire day at the fair, had a great family time, and didn't get home until after 11pm! The next morning I asked the kids what they wanted to do..."Go to the Fair!"
Tractor Pull
The Marana Heritage Festival was last weekend at the Heritage Park in Gladden Farms. They had an all day event of tractor pulls, but we weren't able to stay for all of them. Joey had fun and thought each antique tractor was amazing.
Last Camping Trip of the Year
Macy wanted to go camping for her birthday, but since Donald was out of town, we had to postpone it until October. Donald took a day off of work during the week and we headed up to Mt. Lemmon. We were able to get the same spot that D and the kids had in April for Joey's camping trip.
We had some unexpected trailer issues, but eventually got the campsite ready. We were able to head down to Rose Canyon Lake and do some fishing and were met by a skunk on our way back to camp! We escaped un-skunked, only to have ANOTHER skunk walk right through our camp later than night while we roasted hot dogs & marshmallows!
The kids had a great time hiking through the woods and climbing all over the huge boulders.
We had some unexpected trailer issues, but eventually got the campsite ready. We were able to head down to Rose Canyon Lake and do some fishing and were met by a skunk on our way back to camp! We escaped un-skunked, only to have ANOTHER skunk walk right through our camp later than night while we roasted hot dogs & marshmallows!
The kids had a great time hiking through the woods and climbing all over the huge boulders.
Roof Repairs
We had a few roof tiles come off during the microburst in August. When Donald returned from Alabama, he climbed up on the roof and replace 12 of the tiles. Quite a scary task!
Bowling Party
We were invited to a bowling party for Tanner's 6th birthday. Both Macy & Joey were excited to hang out with the boys!
Skyping with Daddy
While D was in Alabama we were able to see & talk to him every night via Skype. The kids loved seeing him and playing computer games with him at night before bed. It made the three weeks away go faster.
Random September Pics
We kept busy while Daddy was in Alabama. On September 27th Chili's donated 100% of their proceeds to St. Jude's Research hospital, so the kids and I had lunch there. The weather was great, so the kids spent most of their days outside.
Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
September 25th was Smithsonian Museum Day where anyone could visit a Smithsonian affiliated museum for free. The kids and I went to the Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. The kids liked all of the exhibits, but especially the Christmas room & the Fairies.
Sphinx Moth Caterpillar
Macy found a huge caterpillar under the car. After a little research we discovered it is a Sphinx Moth and will burrow under the ground and will emerge in March or April. Macy has put the cocoon in her room...let's hope she doesn't lose it!
Happy Birthday Macy!
Donald had to travel to Alabama for 3 weeks in September and missed Macy birthday, but Nana & Papa came over for the weekend and we celebrated. On Friday, we saw a magic show put on by the science club of our homeschool group. Saturday we ventured out to Toys R Us for a little shopping spree and then an early birthday dinner at Chili's!
AZ Cement Plant Tour
Marana Parks & Rec has set up some great free field trips to locations around the community. On September 17th we were able to tour the Arizona Portland Cement plant that is located down the road from us. We went with our friends Tracy and her boys, Tanner & Cash. The kids had a good time and we learned quite a lot about how cement is made.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
All I want for Christmas
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| North Pole Experience, Greer, Arizona |
As the kids get older, we are able to experience more things. Last summer we took the opportunity to travel up the Pacific Coast from Malibu, California to Newport, Oregon. We spent 19 days camping and exploring and it was the best quality family time!
This year, all I want for Christmas is a trip to the North Pole! A couple of days in the White Mountains, snow falling gently to the ground, a steaming cup of hot chocolate, the smell of gingerbread in the air, and sneaking a peek at the Elves in action at Santa's Workshop! The magic of Christmas practically in our back yard...
Friday, August 20, 2010
Microburst
The monsoon storms are not over yet. We had a huge microburst occur in Gladden Farms this last Sunday.
Donald and the kids were at the park flying his plane. He happened to lose is fancy spy camera in a freshly plowed field and they were searching for it when then noticed a huge downpour was heading their way! They abandoned their search and headed for home. Just as they were pulling up to the house, the kiddie pool flew out of our back yard, across the street and almost into the neighbor's back yard. Trees were uprooted and roof tiles were blown off. Luckily, our trees survived. Our roof was not so lucky. Our roof is still intact, but we are missing 5 or 6 large roof tiles and have an additional half dozen askew. We are not looking forward to the roofer's bill for this one.
At the Marana Regional Airport, several hangars were damaged and two small planes were blown across the field!
Donald and the kids were at the park flying his plane. He happened to lose is fancy spy camera in a freshly plowed field and they were searching for it when then noticed a huge downpour was heading their way! They abandoned their search and headed for home. Just as they were pulling up to the house, the kiddie pool flew out of our back yard, across the street and almost into the neighbor's back yard. Trees were uprooted and roof tiles were blown off. Luckily, our trees survived. Our roof was not so lucky. Our roof is still intact, but we are missing 5 or 6 large roof tiles and have an additional half dozen askew. We are not looking forward to the roofer's bill for this one.
At the Marana Regional Airport, several hangars were damaged and two small planes were blown across the field!
Out of Round
We had the tires rotated and balanced on the Yukon last week and discovered that we had a problem with the steering linkage that caused serious uneven wear on the tires. It was not a happy day. It will be a few months before we can afford to replace the tires, but in the mean time, Donald had fun trying to round them out!
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(click on the "X" if an ad appears over the slideshow)
Apple Annie's Orchard
Last weekend we headed to Apple Annie's Orchard in Willcox, Arizona. Their peaches are amazing and we came home with 35 pounds of them! We also drove up to Apple Annie's Farm and bought some amazingly sweet corn, some cucumbers and picked beautiful tomatoes off the vine.
Can't wait to go back in September for apples!
(click on the "X" if an ad appears over the slideshow).
Can't wait to go back in September for apples!
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Joey
Joey and Macy are loving school. They actually fight over who gets to go first!
The other morning I came downstairs to find Joey lounging on the kitchen counter reading a library book. I was shocked...for many reasons. He didn't know I was there, so I was able to snap a quick picture. (And, yes, he did get in trouble for being on the counter).
(Click on the "X" if an ad appears over the slideshow).
The other morning I came downstairs to find Joey lounging on the kitchen counter reading a library book. I was shocked...for many reasons. He didn't know I was there, so I was able to snap a quick picture. (And, yes, he did get in trouble for being on the counter).
(Click on the "X" if an ad appears over the slideshow).
Dirty Boys!
Donald and Joey replaced the rear drums and brakes on the Yukon a couple of weeks ago. It was a hot, dirty job!
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(click the "X" if an ad appears on the slideshow)
Macy's Hair Cut
I cut Donald and Joey's hair every 2-3 weeks. However, Macy and I get our hair cut only about every 6 months! Great Clips had their back to school special, so Macy & I both got $8 haircuts in July. She looks so grown up now!
Joey's New Ride
Joey loves all kinds of trucks. I think his favorite is a combine harvester, but really any kind of farm tractor, monster truck, construction equipment, or regular ol' pickup truck will do!
One of our friend's from church works for Forest City Developer who happens to own Gladden Farms. Forrest knows of Joey's obsession with trucks and was able to get one of the construction foremen to give Joey a ride in the road grader while they were working on a new subdivision. Joey talked non-stop to Mr. Bill while he rode along one morning in July!
One of our friend's from church works for Forest City Developer who happens to own Gladden Farms. Forrest knows of Joey's obsession with trucks and was able to get one of the construction foremen to give Joey a ride in the road grader while they were working on a new subdivision. Joey talked non-stop to Mr. Bill while he rode along one morning in July!
Monsoon 2010
Monsoon 2010. These are pictures from the Santa Cruz River that is less than a mile from the house. I think the pictures can speak for themselves!
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(click on the "X" if an ad box appears over the slide show)
Work Day at Community Christian Church
We participated in Work Day at church back in July. We are getting ready for the building expansion of the church and some work needed to be done before the groundbreaking. Donald and Forrest replaced many shingles on the roof, I provided fresh blueberry muffins, and the kids looked cute and ate the muffins!
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Our groundbreaking took place on August 7th and our new building should be ready just in time for Christmas!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
"Joyful Noise" Band
Macy & Joey have been the star performers at church recently. We are changing things up during the first service, and after the Children's Sermon, the kids get to play instruments while we all sing Jesus Loves Me. Macy & Joey are the constant band members and sometimes Brooklyn (18 months old) helps with the tambourines. Recently three new children have started coming to the early service, so the band is growing. Macy is trying to learn how to play the recorder in addition to the xylophone, glockenspiel, and piano! Joey is going through an "opposites" phase right now and is taking a break from the band for a couple of weeks :)
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