The Wild Wild West

Camping in the wild west was a new experience for us. Instead of worrying about poison oak we were worried about cactai! We crashed John's birthday camping trip to Superstition mountain on Friday. We had a great time doing the camping thing. S'mores, camp fire and stories (thanks to Jack!) an amazing dutch oven breakfast (thanks to John). Hayden made friends with jack's cousins and had a blast playing in the wash. It was a freezing night, and we were all dressed in several layers, but it still didn't feel like enough! On our way home we stopped at the little mining town and Shawn took the boys on a mining tour. It was sooooo fun camping in the wild west! Thanks florez fam for letting us crash your party!

Whip Cream and Sporks

Every year the boys school has a Thanksgiving lunch that the parents are invited to. Although the lunch takes on a mushy yellowish hue (it is cafeteria food, with the popular questionable meat!...jk) it is surprisingly delicious! I swear. The boys loved the pumpkin pie the most.  And I enjoyed using a spork immensely, oh brings back memories of my cafeteria days. I love being able to see them interact with their friends and being able to get to know their friends myself. Hayden and his friends were so silly. I loved watching them laugh and have a good time. It fills me with so much joy to see my kids happy at school. Ethan and his friends were pretty goofy themselves, but in a much more laid back cool way, he is a sixth grader after all. This luncheon is probably one of my very favorite things that their school does. I am so glad they did it again this year!

A whole new world

After Nurse Nancy sent home a letter informing the parents of Ethan Hancock that he failed his vision test I finally took him to see the Doctor. Oppse I had no idea he couldn't see! After Ethan put on his glasses he tells me that everything looks different, and clear! A whole new world!! Well I think he looks handsome. A young kent clark? I told him I'd make a superman undershirt for him to wear, he just laughed at me....but now he has super vision!

Veteran's Day Parade

I always love the parade. Ethan was able to be in the parade again with the other eleven year old scouts, and cub scouts. I know its a lot of work for the scout leaders to pull together their float, and I usually have to drag Shawn there. But for me its all worth it. I love it. I am so proud to be an American, and I think that sometimes that sounds cliched but its true. Watching all the older men that have fought, and the younger men that maybe just returned, and the high school ROTC, its touching that all these people care so much that they are not only willing to risk their lives for our country, but to live their lives every day for our country. I am so deeply grateful for them and their sacrifice. The parade is just one small way to celebrate them, because truly they deserve more then that.

Hayden and Libby enjoyed the parade too. There were the unicycles, always Shawn's favorite, camels, and horses, marching bands, cheer squads, cool old school cars, and so much more.

Another Week

 I've finally convinced Libby that bath time is fun. But as it turns out its not so fun for me. She thinks its hilarious to dump and splash water everywhere!



 Libby and her BFF at the park next to our house. It was freezing!




Shawn's parents missed us so much that they visited us again this week! JK, they were here for business, but we can pretend. We had a big Sunday dinner, and celebrated Candy's birthday. Yes, Libby is eating Grandma's birthday cake. What are Grandma's for, if not for spoiling their grandchildren? Ethan and Hayden had fun taking turns challenging Grandma and Poppa in checkers and chess, and they did not go easy on them! I hope that we can make a tradition of having family dinners with them....they are thinking about joining us out here in az!

Thankful hearts

I saw this thankful tree on pinterest, and saved it in my files for inspiration. I thought this would be a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving everyday for the month of November. At dinner we talk about things that we are thankful for and write one thing on a leaf and hang it on the tree. On my tree I cut out leaf shapes, but after I started cutting I quickly wished I would have stayed with the original idea of just punching out the circles. I think it gives the same look, and it would have been way faster! Oh well, next year. Here is my tree, I think it will look better at the end of the month when it has more thankful leafs:

Halloween 2011

I know I may have mentioned this before, but I love Halloween. I love the season it falls in, I love the flavors, and scents, I love that it is all about children playing make believe, I love that it is about our neighbors pulling together and actually going outside and talking with each other, I love that October isn't over scheduled like December always is, I love that the decorations are more about being fun, then about being beautiful and with all these things together that there is less pressure in the holiday. It is just meant to be fun, and to be a kid again.

We had a great Halloween. Our morning started off with Hayden receiving the principals award and cookies! Then Libby and I had story time at our local library, while story time is my favorite thing, Libby hasn't figured out that it is hers too, but I am working on that! We had a fun black dress Halloween luncheon with the girls, at Jamie's. When the boys got home we got busy on carving our pumpkins, they both wanted cannibal pumpkins after seeing one on Martha Stewart. Then for the main event of the day we had the Dent family over for pizza and trick or treating. Our older two decided to ditch us and went off on their candy hunt alone. This was Libby's first real trick or treating experience and she loved it. She carried her little pumpkin bucket and clicked her shoes from house to house. She loved all the ohhs and ahhs she got for being so cute, but of course she loved the candy the most. Each new piece of candy went straight into her mouth, wrapper and all. She munched on it until she made it to the next house where she would drop the candy into her bucket and get ready for the next piece. She had it down. It was so cute, Shawn and I were in heaven watching her. She is hysterical. Hayden had a blast with his best friend Ryan, and CJ. Between the two boys we have way to much candy. So all in all I think the day was success!

I hope you had a great Halloween too!