Being Proud

I was so excited the other night when Mitch came to get me so I would see what RJ was doing. He said "Bring your camera".

RJ can ride his bike...without training wheels!!!

another quick video

In case you can't see the videos, here are some snap shots.

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The best part is, he has crashed (lightly) and gotten right back up and rode again. I am so proud of him!!!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Halloween....

Every year, our church Mission Bell UMC sets up a pumpkin patch. To kick it off, we invite all church members, friends, family, boy/cub scouts & girl scouts to come help unload the truck...

We all work in a long line so no one has to carry a heavy pumpkin for too long...

"Many hands make for lite work"

If you stand opposite from each other there is less back twisting...

Sara taking a break with her friend all the adults do the heavy work (the kids set out all the tiny gourds earlier)

The grassy area in front of the church

Look at all those pumpkins...

When it was all said and done we off loaded 1132 regular to large size pumpkins. It took about 2 hrs with breaks for water and pizza. It was a lot of fun to talk to everyone while working.

If you are near 43rd Ave and Bell Road, stop buy and get your pumpkin!!!

Once we got home, the kids helped me finish decorating our house for Halloween

Now they want to know when is it time to go Trick or Treating...

Fun with Cousins

This summer I had the privilege of hanging out with 4 awesome kids!! Jordan and Miles came over for a week of fun!! Everyday we spent time in the sand (at home or at the park)

Swings were a bog hit for the big boys

And Sara

All four of them also spent time in the play house in the back yard. Can you see them through the door window....

Oh wait..there they are...

It was a great week! It went by too fast. I hope they can come over again to play!

A Little About RJ

Apparently I have been slacking on my blog...sorry about that...here is a quick update on RJ...

Following RJ's 6th birthday this summer, he decided he wanted to try karate. He loves it and is very good at it. We hope to move him up in January to the next category "Master Club"

Sara got to try class during July.


He has also learned about the Jr. Ranger Program. At all the National parks here in America he can answer some questions and then receive a badge for his Jr Ranger vest. He has 4 so far and he can't wait to earn more.

A piece of lava rock near Sunset Crater National Park

This summer we spent a lot of time doing science experiments (thanks Aunt Heidi). He loves to see how things work and to see if he can make other thins happen.

Every day RJ amazes me even more. He loves to read and tries to read anything you put in front of him. Sometimes he gets frustrated if the words are too big but he tries hard to sound them out. He has made some good friends here in the neighborhood and at school. Everyday he has something new to share. I can't believe he is growing up so fast!!

Walk for Hope

This past Saturday, Mitch, the kids and I ventured out on my 3rd annual (minus the year abroad) participation in the City of Hope "Walk for Hope Breast Cancer Walk". We left the house at 5:30am in hopes of getting there in time to fill our bags with all the free goodies the vendors give away. We got some bread, candy, ice cream, apples, water and office supplies. It was great fun.

Then we get ready to start the walk. It was a 5K walk which took us through the Phoenix Zoo.

The finish line! We were rewarded with tags at the finish line.

After the walk we hung around the vendors a bit more and the kids got to meet the Coyote's mascot.

After the walk, we headed back to the zoo to enjoy the animals.

Sara wanted to sing a song to her new frog...

Down at the wallaby walk about - trying to get the kids use to the idea of seeing kangaroos and wallabies...

Taking a break from the animals and enjoying a playground.

Then we headed down to Harmony Farm to enjoy the petting farm.

Sara was in heaven...She loved petting and brushing all the goats.

This one was rather tall...Almost as tall as RJ

This was my favorite picture of the day...Sara sat there stroking this goats goatee for quite some time. She often does this when anyone has a goatee....

Then off to some other hands on exhibits...Mitch was a good turtle (or sport)

RJ and Sara are "all clammed up"

Daddy was wrangling this crocodile to save Sara from his jaws....

Our last stop was the Giraffes. The kids talked dad into walking up the look out tower to get a better look.

It was a great morning!! Mitch and I were down for a nap by 2:30pm...the kids lasted all day but were out by 7pm.

All About Sara

Seeing how I am a bit behind, I thought I'd do a recap a few things we did this summer...staring Sara

Back in March, Sara turned 3 and I took her to have her pictures taken.

Isn't she fun in front of the camera

We welcomed a new member into our family and Sara took a liking to him immediately

Poor Buster never had a chance

The biggest amazement of the summer...Sara taught herself how to swim. She started out with a life vest back in April, but by the time RJ's birthday rolled around (June) she was swimming from one end of the pool to the other unassisted.

But she never ceases to amaze me...she loves to be a girl and dress up. She was so happy to get a pair of Hello Kitty sunglasses that she wore them all day even in the house.

I really enjoyed spending time with Sara this summer. I am already looking forward to Fall Break in October. It will just be the two of us as RJ will be in school that week. We will have a lot of fun.

RJ's First Day of First Grade

After much excitement, RJ finally got to start 1st grade at his new school!!!


We all decided it would be best if RJ attended his neighborhood school so we registered him there. He was so excited to be able to go to school on the first day and be able to know some kids. There are 5 grade school kids on our street (none in the same grade) and they have been playing together all summer long.

Here is RJ outside his new classroom

Here he is at his new desk.

We are certain that he is going to have a great year! He spent his first week cooking! He was so excited to come home and tell us what he made in class.

Hope everyone else has a great school year too!

Our New Family Addition

Last week, our great friend across the street conned Mitch into bringing home a new family addition...

Sara is in heaven with the newest member, Buster.

She carries him everywhere..

When Buster arrived we were already dog sitting our friend's dog, Porche. I think Porche was thankful to have someone to play with...

It has been interesting adjusting to having 2 dogs again. Porche will go home this weekend and I think all of us, including Buster, will be sad when she leaves.

June 12, 2009...RJ turns 6...several times last week!

I can't believe RJ is now 6 years old...I know the cliche is "time flies, enjoy them while you can", but man, 6 years have come and gone like a blink of an eye.

Thanks to some great friends afar, this is what RJ woke up to on his birthday.


A new helmet for his scooter and bike rides

an awesome package from Kimi (and her mom and dad) in Japan. She sent him toe socks, underoos and lots of Japanese candies and snacks.

a fabulous package from Miho with a set of Shinkansin colored pencils and a date book.

This is a thank you message from RJ to his friends in Japan whom we all miss dearly!

More posts to come with the rest of the birthday festivities.

SSOO Much FUN!!

Flash back about 15 years or so and 2 of my favorite friends are pregnant. And they are both expecting boys! I was so excited for them.

Flash forward about 10 years to when I was pregnant with RJ. I was scared to death I was going to have a girl...for those of you who knew me back then, I was not a girly girl. I have two older brothers and we grew up on a street where all the kids were boys (except for Darcy and I). I learned to be a tomboy so I could fit in.

Then I became pregnant with baby #2 and I was actually ok with the idea that I might have a girl. the ultrasounds were inconclusive until about the 8th month and by then I was actually getting EXCITED about the possibility of having a girl...

Flash forward three years (to present day) and let me tell you...IT IS SO MUCH FUN having Sara as my daughter!!

Today was a day of nothings and we had fun. The kids and I headed off to Michael's to get a few things to help RJ get his birthday invitations off in the and some shoes for RJ and Sara.

Sara wanted HOT PINK flip flops...hey they were only$1 and they had her size and mine...this could be fun.

So we picked out some ribbon and made the best looking flip flops on the block!!!



I could get use to this girly stuff!!! Thanks Sara for being who you are!!!

Memorial Day 2009

Today is a day of remembrance...

But what do most of us remember about Memorial Day's of the past....

Swimming (yep that is what my kids will remember about this day off from school)

BBQs

The beginnings of vacations (for a few years, I was at the airport on Memorial day; Australia in 2000, LA 2001 (I believe picking up Rochelle), somewhere else 2002...)

But how often do we stop and remember all those lives taken (just listened to Andy Rooney say that they were not "lives given up, but taken").

My father was one of the fortunate ones...His life was spared, but how many friends did he lose, how many memories does he have..

There are others who I try to remember to Thank on Memorial Day (Mitch taught me this practice years ago). 3 of my 4 grandparents fought in WWII and I was fortunate enough to know all of them. Grandpa Miller (aka G-Papa) Grandma Miller (a member of WAC And Grandpa Leister (sorry can't find the picture)

But what about all those we don't know therefore can not remember....(photo of some survivors of the Spanish American War)

I hope each of you takes a moment today to remember why it is so great to be Americans and enjoy the freedoms we do have.....