Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

 

This year we had lots of opportunities to dress up and lots of fun times. Between the ward trunk or treat, a fun joy school party, Cole's preschool fall festival, and neighborhood trick-or-treating, the kids have gotten good use out of their costumes this year. Cole was a dragon (that never stopped roaring at people - sorry neighbors!) and Lexi was a bumble bee and a butterfly (thank you consignment sale). We knew that Cole was always crazy with tons of candy, but this year we learned what Lexi's sugar highs look like: tons of uncontrollable giggling and non-stop running in circles. And no naps.

 

The puppet show and storytelling at the joy school party was definitely a hit! Both kids sat on the blanket totally engaged for half an hour or so. It's never happened before.

 

 

Cole's School Picture 2014

Prepare to be bombarded by the most handsome 3 1/2 year-old you have ever seen!

 

 



Fall (sort of) Farm Visit

The kids and I ventured out to a little local farm this morning, and they loved it! We rode around the farm on a hay ride being pulled by a tractor (twice), fed the goats carrots and admired the other animals, picked out pumpkins from the pumpkin patch and decorated them with stickers, and spent lots of time in the bouncy houses (Lexi's favorite part). Throw in a couple of fun treats I splurged on for the kids and they had a blast. If the fall weather here wasn't in the 90's still, it would have been perfect!

 

 

School, Water, Water, and More Water

Cole's First Day of School

Ms. Sara's 3's Preschool Class

August 4, 2014

While Cole was enjoying his new class, Dave was busy studying for his Cardiac CT boards and I was busy growing a baby! Here I am at 30 weeks and counting, September 16, 2014. Thankfully Mom and Shantae came out for a few weeks to help me manage the mayhem while Dave was focusing on studying. They were lifesavers!

Going to the Children's Museum in Phoenix was a first for the kids and kept them busy for hours. So many fun things to see and do and play with! Bless Grandma's heart for taking both kids into the giant three-story tree house! She almost didn't make it out. ;-)

And of course there was making rice crispy treats with sprinkles...

and visiting the duck pond.

One of our favorite new toys is a bigger pool in our backyard. The kids would spend every day out there if they could. We may have a small little patch of astro-turf, but it has sure been nice to have a little bit of outside space for them to play. And yes, it's October now, and we're still swimming all the time.

We thought the only water our backyard would ever see would be from the hose, but we got some huge storms during September that left record-breaking flooding, including in our backyard. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but the water was several inches deep all the way up to our back door. Thankfully it stopped raining before it started coming in the house!

Aside from swimming in our new backyard pool and the flood water, we spend lots of time in the neighborhood pool. Grandma and Shantae made the best motor boats!

One of Lexi's newest favorite things to pretend is feeding her dollies. She's going to be such a good big sister!

Grandma brought lots of fun crafts in her "magic suitcase" (as Cole deemed it) that kept the kids busy for hours as well.

Lexi is still asking for Aunt Shantae to read her stories and wrestle with her.

She was definitely a big hit!

And believe it or not, Lexi is the big wrestler in our family. She will latch on to Cole's back and hang on for dear life, giggling hysterically, while Cole tries his very hardest to get her off (without success most of the time). Generally I have to go over to them and pry her off as Cole cries that she won't leave him alone. She ADORES Cole and just wants to play with him nonstop. Since the feeling isn't exactly mutual (Cole loves Lexi, just not to the same degree), it's a good thing she came out one tough cookie and can handle being manhandled a bit.

Albuquerque Summer Fun

After the Blacker family reunion the kids and I (and Dave for a few days) spent some time hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's instead of going back to the frying heat of Phoenix. We loved every minute of it! I was especially grateful for the help with the kids while I was dealing with the joys of pregnancy sickness.

Outside time was our number one favorite thing; digging in the dirt, running in the grass, and swinging on the porch. That's what summer is all about!

Cole loved helping Grandpa and Daddy with some yard work. He's sure he's just as strong as them!

Mom and Dad took the kids to the Crockett family reunion for a few days while Dave and I headed to San Diego for a cardiology conference where he was presenting. I wasn't feeling well, but definitely enjoyed resting in the hotel room and dinners out with Dave with no kids. We even made it to the beach one afternoon so Dave could boogie board a bit.

Fresh raspberries and Grandma's homemade sprinkle pancakes for breakfast. It doesn't get any better than that!

No summer visit to Albuquerque would be complete without raspberry picking in Grandpa's garden.

Painting with Grandma in the backyard was going great until the kids realized that painting themselves was more fun than painting the paper.

Welcome home from your mission Shantae! We were so glad we could be there!

Uncle Bryan was the coolest for taking the kids to the very top of Grandpa's climbing tower.