MKHKKH

Kaitlin's 100th Day of School

2012-01-24T13:36:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was Kaitlin's 100th day of Kindergarten!

I was the mom in charge of the 100th day party at school. We celebrated by making 100 day glasses, 100 day necklaces, 100 day trail mix, a picture with 100 dots, 100 exercises, and rolled the dice to 100! Each student brought in 100 things to share. Kaitlin counted 100 Smarties. What a day full of hundreds of fun things! How can my little lady be over halfway through Kindergarten?

Ace

2012-01-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hailey made principals list with straight A's this semester! We are so proud of her. Moving schools was such a hard transition. She went from a single teacher and turning all her assignments in at once, to changing classes for math, reading, language and science. It was a really rough start to learn a whole new way of doing things and to be responsible for all those big 5th grade changes. She worked very hard and it paid off! Way to go Ace!

Awake in 2012

2012-01-15T21:22:00.003-07:00

Last year was one of those forks in the road you don't anticipate. It has at times been a very sad road and others incredibly beautiful and blessed. This new road threw me for a bit of a loop on my resolutions for last year. Hey you have to use the best excuse you have, right!?

2011 Resolution Review

1. To try the Warrior Dash with Max.

The race was in August and we moved in June. Hopefully no more moves in store and we can accomplish this one this year!

2. Since I got the baby books all caught up it is now time to organize the giant box of random photos and school work.

After boxes and boxes of unpacking and organizing, I never made it to the photos. They are still in the box.

3. Get more involved at church. We recently changed churches and it is time to get more plugged in.

That sure didn't pan out. But we have joined a new church and are starting to get connected.

4. Go on a beach vacation. It has been 7 years and I am ready.

Moves are expensive, so I didn't get the beach vacation I was dreaming of. I did get an amazing three week vacation where we saw some of the most beautiful countryside in America as we traveled to our new home. This journey sparked the MKHKKH Family 50.

5. Reduce my craigslist and gymboree investments by 25%!

Yes! Depression and distraction are quite the antidote to shopping, so I hammered this one by at least a 75% decrease!

6. Take a class. I want to learn something new this year.

No such luck here either as far as a formal class. I had imagined a language class, religious studies class, or a martial arts class. I have, however, learned about Arizona through lots of R and D and becoming a resident.

7. Make our family more fit from what we eat to our exercise.

A work in progress. Having kids that are a year older will help!

8. Get Hank completely potty trained! I sure hope his slow learning in this area doesn't transfer to other areas.

Yes! Victory. Thank you Jesus!!

9. More water, less beer.

One plus for Arizona summers is that I started drinking water like I never have before. Unfortunately as it has cooled, I am back to my old habits. A new year and I will keep trying. No comment on the less beer. :)

10. Floss.

Utter failure....

11. Pay off school loans.

We are so close with our "baby loans!" It will be marked off very soon! Old Uncle Sam loans will be with us for decades. LOL

I have been thinking about my goals for 2012 for a while. Each year I strive to accomplish a few things, and like most people, I don't meet all of my goals. However, I continue to fight the good fight and aim to be a better person each year I am granted. For this year, I want to awake. Awake my soul. Awake my mind. Awake my body.

1. It's time to go deeper with my faith. I want to learn more and do more. I want to love others in practical ways. I would like to find 12 ways to serve others. I think I can find one way to love thy neighbor each month. Jesus loves us and I want to be a conduit of that love. I don't know what that will look like, but I want to awaken myself to opportunities to love others more.

Photo

2. Being a stay at home mom I sometimes feel like my brain has turned to mush. My memory is terrible and sometimes I can hardly form a coherent sentence. I know my brain is capable of more as I earned 3 bachelor degrees and was Summa Cum Laude of my nursing class. Over a decade of multitasking throughout most of the day has made it hard for me to concentrate for long periods of time on one thing. I get bored easily now. Just like your muscles atrophy without use, I feel like brain is in serious need of a work out. I want to carve out a half an hour most days of the week to really challenge my brain. Read something with vocabulary grater than 5th grade level, study the Bible, even a crossword would work.

Getting my hair done at the finest salon in Scottsdale.

3. Recently I have become very aware how precious and brief this moment is. I want to soak it up. It is so easy to be the ant, to just fill the calendar with activities, to run the kids here and there, and to have no time to relish in just being with my family and kids. To soak up there goofy grins, to have nothing scheduled and see where our imagination can take us. To not be so focused on the end objective that I lose sight of today. I remember when Hailey was Hank's age thinking what will I do for the whole day. That thought never crosses my mind these days. It seems someone always has something and we are always on the go. I want to really be present in the moment as much as possible.

4. I want to blog more. For Christmas Max turned our 2008 blog posts into a book. Of course I cried like a baby at his thoughtfulness. I really enjoyed reviewing our year and reflecting on all that I had captured of that moment. It would be great to continue this and get blog books for all the years. This is my thesis after all.

5. In hopes of actualizing our Family 50, I want to visit 5 states this year!

6. We have signed up for the Warrior Dash here in AZ. Hope I can awake my body from its annual fall and winter slumber of delighting in food and fatness. Bathing suit season comes much quicker here! ACK! Along with exercising my brain, I need to make exercise a part of my routine. Who doesn't? I have no excuse except I would do anything, even fold laundry over work out. Why can't I be one of those exercise addicts? Here's to at least getting back to running a 5k and bathing suit worthy by summer.

I hope there will be a big awakening for 2012!

TEEBOW...WOAH!!!!!

2012-01-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Another Miracle at Mile High!!! What an incredible game. It felt like I was at home today. We had guacamole and chips durning the game. We were rooting and cheering for our Broncos! Tebow Time was terrific today! Go Broncos!!!!

Family Tebow Time! :)

Boob Crack??

2012-01-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

You have got to love kids. They are so great at keeping you humble. Tonight at dinner as I was leaning over the table, Karlie informed me that I had boob crack. Boob Crack!?!?!? I looked down and sure enough, my V-neck t-shirt had slipped down and the girls were indeed hanging out a bit showing off a tad of pretend cleavage (after four kids, the word cleavage left the train stop LONG ago!). Nice. Hence a new term at the MKHKKH house....Boob crack. I am not sure yet which is worse, plumbers crack or boob crack!

Sparkle

2012-01-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Karlie has a zest for life that shows from the twinkle in her eye down to her dancing around the house on her tippy toes. This zeal is also evident in her choice of clothing. She really wanted green high top converse for Christmas but they don't make them. Instead she got these zany ones with neon green laces. Can you believe I let her go to school like this? She is so exuberant and happy. She almost always has a mischievous grin on her face. We know this one is going to shine because you just can't hide her sparkle.

Frist Annual Scottsdale Polar Bear Swim

2012-01-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

With Monday being a holiday we had a chance to continue to ring in the New Year in new ways. Max's sister's boyfriend was doing a polar bear swim in California and Hailey was inspired to do one too!

She convinced Max to race her and the little girls did a half dip across the short end of the pool.

Brrrrrr.

The thermometer says the pool is 53 degrees.

Victory! Siri took a victory swim to Hailey. Go crazy polar bears!!!

I had planned to sample cheese from around the world on New Year's Eve but we were all too stuffed. New Year's Day proved to be another day of gluttony, so we had to wait until Monday to have our taste test of new cheeses.

Manchego from Spain is a staple and the kids would pick it above all else but were very interested to try all the new cheeses.

Nana chose the Windsor Red from England.

Karlie liked the Brie from France.

Pops, Max and Katie liked the Blueberry Fayre from Britain best.

Kaitlin and Hailey chose the Gouda from Holland as their pick.

The very strong Gorgonzola from Italy took last place.

It was another fun day of food, family and festivities. 2012 got off to a great start!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

We had a remarkable first day of 2012! We started the morning off with a breakfast of smoked salmon on bagels. The salmon came all the way from Alaska thanks to Uncle Phil and it was amazing!

I am a little frightened the year kicked off with an 80 degree day. I hope this is not a sign of things (heat) to come in 2012 but we sure enjoyed ourselves. I find it interesting that last year on New Year's Day neither Max or I had ever been to Scottsdale and we were celebrating in 10 degree weather. My how things change in a year!

We went for a family bike ride after breakfast. It is so great to have a 1 adult : 1 kid ratio! Pops pulled Kaitlin on the bike trailer and Max pulled Hank in the buggy. Karlie and Hailey were super tough chicks as we mountain biked for over 3 miles!!!

For the record I really resisted taking the little ones off road, but I was wrong and it was safe and they absolutely loved it. Thank you Max for pulling a rabbit out of your hat and somehow resurrecting your bike and fixing Hailey's to make my dream come true!

After a little snack and rest we headed to the park to fly new kites the kids got in their stockings.

Baby Siri had her first day at the park and was the star. I was swarmed by moms and kids. :)

We have a neat frog kite that we have tried tirelessly to fly and it just never really took flight. However, on New Year's Day everything seemed to fall into place and it flew so high and for so long. We had to pull it down when it was time to go! Our friends met us at the park too! What a glorious day.

We had to refuel after our ride and afternoon at the park. We dined on crab flown in from San Francisco (complements of Pops and Nana).

Leroy, Oscar and Lamar were an exceptional late day lunch. Notice the sun is setting.

For our new food to try we made frozen pops with our new Zoku! Thanks Sam and Heather! It was so fun, easy and delicious. I know we will be using these a lot.

Fresh lemonade pops!

Our new game was Headbanz. You put a picture on your forehead and try to guess what it is by asking everyone else yes or no questions. It was hilarious but Hank was a wild card and loved telling everyone what they were.

Our new things to wear were Uggs for Max, earrings for me, new high tops for Hailey and Karlie, Kaitlin wore her new robe, and Hank wore his new camelback on our bike ride.

We finished our new day off with prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. Our neighbors brought us cheesecake that was shipped to them from a deli in New York. WOW! We started with salmon from Alaska, moved down to San Francisco for crab, across the Midwest or Texas for some terrific prime rib and then topped it all with genuine cheesecake from New York. Hopefully a sign of the taste for traveling in quest of our family 50 this year. Had to be one of the best starts to the New Year I can remember. 2011 was a hard year, so I am very happy to see what is in store for MKHKKH in 2012!!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Nana and Pops came to help us ring in the New Year! The boys took a morning bike ride and then we all went for a desert hike.

Hank got a first class ride since his toe was broken. Max and I took turns carrying our little fella.

The desert is green. This is spring time in AZ. I may concede that it is even pretty at this time of year.

We had to fortify ourselves for the long night ahead with a turkey dinner and all the fix ins.

Our ever present superhero took down a leg along with carnivore Karlie.

We had a post dinner battle with lightsabers and with Nana and Pops' gift of popper guns.

There were ping pong balls flying everywhere!

We are still finding them around the house.

After we worked of the turkey, it was time for more eating.

Then we watched Ratatouille.

Max was the ONLY one who fell asleep. This was Hank's first year to make it all the way to midnight!

We woke our pyrotechnician for a pre-midnight celebration.

Good bye 2011!!

We ran inside just in time to watch the ball drop and toast. 2012 started off surrounded by happy family and smooch from my honey. Here's to hoping the rest of 2012 is healthy, happy and keeps us surrounded by loving family!

ER Hank

2011-12-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last night we took Hank to the emergency room for the second time in the last six weeks. The first time was when the Sunday school teacher accidentally gave him peanut butter and he had an allergic reaction. It was terrifying because Hank had never been exposed to peanuts. We found out through a blood test when he had a reaction to eggs that he was also allergic to peanuts. When I picked him up from class he had hives all over his face and mouth. I had left the epi-pen in the backpack at home after our trip to the zoo the day before. Thankfully he responded well to Benadryl and ended up with just minor wheezing instead of an anaphylactic reaction. We learned we needed to teach him about peanut butter too. While we constantly teach him to ask about candy and cookies, he had never seen peanut butter.

After dinner Hank was playing on the bar stool and tipped it over onto his toe. His bare little toe got sandwiched between the hard tile and the heavy bar stool. He had that scream that you instantly know this is a bad one. Max picked him up and he was bleeding. He continued to scream in a way I have not seen any of the kids cry. I decided it was time to go to the ER. The girls were having sleepovers so I quickly arranged for them to go back to our neighbors house. So much for her peaceful, kid free evening.

Hank ended up with an open fracture of his big toe. He has two hairline fractures and deep cut at the base of his toe nail that will cause him to lose the nail soon. He is taking antibiotics to prevent a bone infection. He was so tough at the ER. He just shook and held my hand as they cleaned and wrapped it. He happily played with Legos for almost two hours despite it being way past his bedtime and his bloody boo-boo. The nurses showered him with praise and gave him a pillow pet for the ride home.

A broken toe isn't going to slow this monkey down. He has taken to crawling on threes. He is enjoying the pampering from his sisters. Kaitlin made him a get well card and all.

This makes Hank ER visits 3 in 3 years : All three girls ER visits 3 in a cumulative 22 years. I am pretty sure who is going to get the most tally marks in the shortest amount of time.

Our First Christmas in Arizona

2011-12-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

Santa managed to find us in Arizona and he was very good to the kids.

The highlights were hex bugs, Breyer horses, and a motor scooter for Hailey!

Karlie's were the ultimate easy bake oven, a motor scooter, a fish, and Calico Critters.

Kaitlin got her own desk with all the paper and pens a girl could want. She had a Hello Kitty Christmas with PJ's, gum ball machine, and a lamp for her desk.

Hank received numerous light sabers, costumes, and a play bow set with a camo tent.

They all got chairs for their rooms and lava lamps.

They also got a computer so they can do their on-line assignments!

I got a baby and Max got Uggs.

We spent most of the day playing with our new toys!

We ate lots of yummy treats!

This one scares me!

Spider-Man kept the streets safe.

It was near 70 degrees out so we had to take a dip in the hot tub.

Siri wanted to swim too!

My rowdy bunch.

This is for Grampu. Yes, we are playing outside on green grass in our bathing suits on Christmas! But you had a white Christmas, so I think you trump us. :)

We were too tired to get dressed up for Christmas dinner. We had PJ's and Spider-Man instead.

We had the best crab I have ever tasted. A true King Crab. His leg was 3/4 Hank's height! The lobster couldn't hold a candle to it. A delicious end to an amazing day.

We were all ready for bed, even Bitty.

We had a very merry Christmas but it just wasn't the same without all the typical family festivities we are use to. It was strange to spend the entire day with just our little family. The best gifts are sharing special times with those you love.

Silver Siri the 7th

2011-12-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Meet Siri! It was an Act of Congress to name our little lady. We went through desert and Christmas themes with Mirage and Silver Belle. We tried M names so Max could have an M buddy with Maya. We called her Maya for almost 2 days before deciding it wasn't just right.

There were so many things that added up to seven that we called her Seven for a day too. But she is just too dainty for such a severe name. We wanted a name that you wouldn't name a person. We seem to be partial to girl names that end in an "e" sound. We also wanted a name that had meaning for her.

We put Silver in there for the silver bells of Christmas and of course her silver color.

Being Apple fans, we tip our hats to Steve Jobs, arguably the greatest inventor of our time. Siri has become a sensation worldwide and has revolutionized the smartphone. Siri made her debut a few weeks before our girl was born and the day before Jobs died.

According to Birth Village, Siri comes from the Indian word that means, "wealth; God's gift of love." The Scandinavian meaning is "beautiful and victorious." A dog is truly God's gift of love. No other animal loves the way a dog does. Siri is also beautiful and will enrich our lives. The kids are absolutely in love. Siri has been quite victorious in winning a spot on the couch and sleeping between Max and me. Those Weimaraners!

Seven is significant in her life as well. She was born on the 7th day (Sunday, October 30th). She was 7th in the litter. She was 7 weeks when we got her. She is the 7th member in our family. She comes from Las Vegas where 7s are lucky.

SIRI is our beautiful, silver girl of sevens.

Optimus Prime Tebowing at Hoover Dam

2011-12-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

We had to drive to Las Vegas to get the puppy and stopped at the Hover Dam on the way.

It had been 13 years since Max and I had been to the Dam. We last visited while driving back to Colorado after attending the 1997 Holiday Bowl in San Diego where CSU beat Missouri. We were not even married yet.

The Mike O'Callaghan- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge was completed in 2010.

Part of the movie Transformers was filmed at the Hoover Dam so Hank insisted on being Optimus Prime for his visit. He was quite the celebrity with police men stopping to wave to him and plenty of Asian tourist shouting out, "there's Optimus!"

You are surrounded by incredible architectural feats.

At the Celestial Plaza where the Winged Figures of the Republic and the US flag fly.

At the base of the winged figures is a "map of the cosmos to represent the day President Roosevelt dedicated the dam. The map is supposedly so accurate, you have to have expertise in astrophysics to know what it means, but the powers in charge of the projected anticipated time-travelers would come someday and they wanted to leave an accurate record of their achievement."

We rubbed their feet for good luck per the tradition. Hoping we are lucky with our puppy pick and she is not a crazy one.

Hank Tebowed at the Lonely Lands Made Fruitful plaque. I submitted his photo to the Tebowing site and he was accepted! You can click here to see his link or click on the toddlers link from the home page and click through until you find him.

Max had his Transformers T-shirt on too! :)

On the border between Arizona and Nevada.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

I Moose Be Dreaming that it is already Christmas Eve!

We set out the cookies for Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the carrots for the reindeer. The stockings are hung. We are all snug in in our new jammies.

Now it is time for all good little boys, girls and puppies to go to sleep for NORAD says Santa is on his way!!

Chalk It Up For a Good Time

2011-12-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

I had intentions of posting this a while ago, but better late than never I suppose. This was such a fun and practical gift to make for family and friends, I had to pass it on. While at my Aunt Kathleen's house for Thanksgiving she had the cutest wine glasses that had chalkboard paint on the bases so your guest could just write their names on them with chalk. No more remembering what little jewel you are. If you forgot your name, then you certainly had one too many!

I bought a bulk set of wine glasses from World Market.

Then covered the glasses with a Ziploc baggie and taped it off with painter's tape.

Then sprayed the bases with chalkboard spray paint from Micheal's.

I then wrote Merry Christmas, love MKHKKH on the bases.

I ended up buying lots of chalk. Most of the chalk for kids is not meant for chalkboards. Go figure. I ended up finding the right chalk at Hobby Lobby. Dustless chalk is made from calcium carbonate while most of the children's chalk is a clay base. Must have chalkboard chalk for it to work.

Add a bottle of your favorite wine. I really wanted to find bottles of Chalk Hill wine, but it was above my gift basket price range and is hard to find here. Cute idea though.

For those with kids, I made little personal chalk boards for the kids and added some colored chalk. For toddlers I included sidewalk chalk. With a little paint and some time, you can make a gift basket chalked full of fun for kids and grown-ups alike!

Our Baby Girl

2011-12-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

We left Wednesday for Las Vegas to go pick our newest member of our family. Apparently some of you thought we were adopting a child! We are having a fur baby!

Although, I get to pretend she is a real baby. She likes the sling and even fell asleep in it. She was almost purring. It's a good thing I'm not lactating anymore. It would have been a mess! LOL I think I see co-sleeping in the future too. :) Maybe I will even try attachment parenting with this one.

We had pick of the litter. I thought it would be clear which one was meant for us. They were all so wonderfully adorable, it was very hard to decide. It was a litter of 10, so first we decided on a girl. That eliminated four of them.

Then we wanted a smaller lady, so that eliminated one giant female. Then we wanted a silver grey, so that took us down to the final four.

One had a small umbilical hernia, so we were down to three. The breeder said 7 and 8 were the most mellow. 7 was lighter and smaller, so we had our girl. Phew!!!

It was so fun to be surrounded by puppies! Proud Papa.

Puppy Pile.

She is so tiny. Daisy use to fill up the whole bed.

Our neighbors came over to welcome the newest kid on the block.

Kid pile!

We have always struggled with naming our children and Lady #7 is no different. We are taking suggestions!

Some fun facts about her.

1. She is the 7th member of our family.

2. She was 7th in the litter.

3. We got her at 7 weeks.

4. Her biological mom's name is Lucky Lady.

5. Her biological dad's name is Bookie Place Your Bets.

6. We brought her home on the winter solstice.

7. She is the Christmas present I have been dreaming of since I was 7 years old.

We Are Having Another Baby!

2011-12-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

I just love babies. It's been nearly 4 years since I have had one and I still ache for one. If I could have a 6 month old baby on my hip for the rest of my life, I would be a happy lady. Recently at the park I saw a man holding his daughter that looked about 5 months old. I started to get up to go ask him if I could hold her. I quickly assessed the situation and decided if I was in his shoes there is no way I would let some random woman hold my precious little baby. So there I restrained myself from begging to hold the baby for the rest of the time at the park. Part of me empathizes with Michelle Duggar. If I wasn't balanced by Max, I too might have babies until by uterus falls out. :) But a deal was a deal and I promised I wouldn't have anymore if we could just have version 4.0.

However, moving to the desert has been hard. I miss my family desperately. Max loves me dearly and would do anything to see me smile, even offer to have another baby if that would do the trick. While we (especially me) toyed with the idea, it would involve surgery and likely IVF. That is not a road we want to go down. And let's face it, I am not very good a growing babies. Two of my pregnancies were high risk and required bed rest and Hank nearly died. It would also be really risky for me to get pregnant after 3 cesareans. So the other option is adoption. We thought about it for along time and decided we are at the right place in our life to adopt! With Hank on his way to four we are as rested as you can be with four kids and our tanks our full and ready to give it all we have! While I am not looking forward to the sleepless nights, I can't wait to meet her.

We leave today to meet the biological parents and finalize the paperwork. We will have a new little Christmas blessing this year! They have been sending us videos and she has the most beautiful blue eyes. She is only 7 weeks old! I can't wait to hold her and see what her personality is like. The kids are beyond excited. I have been nesting and getting ready for her. Her bed is all set in our room, her stocking is hung and we are so thrilled to be adding to our family.

Zany Zoolights Night

2011-12-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Last night we decided to give the Phoenix Zoolights a try. We had low expectations after our visit to the zoo last month but it is a Christmas time tradition that we just had to try and keep alive.

We were impressed as we entered the zoo. They did a magnificent job with the trees. Even better than Denver! They had Christmas music along the way and we were slowly getting out of our funk from the long line in the parking lot and the even longer line to get in.

We stopped under a canopy of trees lit up. It was a beautiful sight as they changed colors all around us. We started to feel jolly as we drank hot coco and ate cookies.

The animals were 3D! They had a bridge walkway that the tree lights changed in time with the music. It was an incredible display. Phoenix was winning us over for sure!

Monkeys will be monkeys day or night.

We were having such a wonderful time I decided we would go all out and do the carousel. The kids were thrilled. We waited in another long line and as the carousel filled up they asked us if we wanted to wait until there were 4 animals together. The kids eagerly agreed! That meant they would have first choice. Hailey wanted the horse, Kaitlin wanted the zebra, Karlie wanted the flying eagle, and Hank wanted Simba the lion. (He's young enough that a cougar could pass as a lion:)

The animals on the carousel were magnificent but the carousel itself seemed chincy. The flooring was more like one you would see at a carnival and it was very small. But everyone was really happy as we went round and round.

I was standing in-between Karlie and Hank. Before the ride the operators came around to be sure everyone was seat belted in (the kids were not too excited about this. Hailey even exclaimed, "Am I baby?!?") All was well as we went around waving to Daddy.

Then a large crack went out that sounded like two gun shots. Karlie's eagle started to swing out as though it was going to tip over, off the carousel! She was screaming and crying. I grabbed the eagle and her in hopes of keeping it from flying off the carousel and crushing Karlie as she was seat belted onto it. With one hand I released the belt and swept her off the Eagle as the kids and moms screamed around us. I yelled to the operator that it was broken!!! The ride came to a quick stop and Max and the operators met us. Karlie was still crying and I was shaking with adrenaline as I tried to figure out what just happened.

It became clear when I saw the the lever that pulls the animals up and down at the top had snapped off and hit Karlie in the face! The ride was closed for the night and we were taken to the zoo triage. Thankfully Karlie only got a big bump on her eyebrow and cheek and was a little shook up. She will probably be black and blue for Christmas but nothing permanent. If it had landed on her head it would have been worse. Luckily it just glanced her as it came down.

The ride operators, the manager and the firefighter that tended to us all couldn't believe how strange this was and how they had never even heard of it happening before. Guess we are lucky like that. The manager gave us refund for our night. I am thinking I need one on my membership.

Just can't seem to get it right at the phoenix zoo. :(

Tebow Time

2011-12-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Tim Tebow mania started in our house the day Josh McDaniels drafted him in April 2010. It was a huge shock to the NFL community and the majority of football experts considered McDaniels an idiot for what he gave up to get him. I, on the other hand jumped for joy and started dancing around the house. Max thought I had lost my mind like McDaniels. That is when my formal love for Tebow began.

Game after game I just kept hoping they would put the kid in and give him a chance. He is a fighter and a competitor like few others. He is also kind and classy like few others in his league. It doesn't hurt that he is a hunk too. Gee, some guys have all the luck. :)
Max kept telling me that he doesn't have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback, regardless of what a gladiator he is. I turned a deaf ear. I believed from day one he could do it. Something about him makes you believe in him. It was almost Tebow Time.

When we learned we would move to Arizona and all the quarterback controversy was going on in Denver, I briefly hoped the Cardinals would pick him up. That would be one reason to get excited about moving. But it was clear very quickly that was never going to happen. So, after secretly rooting and hoping Fox would just put him in and see what he could do for many games, it finally happened....Tebow Time! I don't know how many games Max and I have watched where by the end of the 3rd quarter he has said, "It's over." I kept saying, "Just wait and see. It's not over until it's over." I had faith he would pull out a victory. I just knew he could win. With each amazing come back Max would shake his head at me as I jumped for joy and shouted for Tebow! He is such a thrill to watch. I would just grin and say, "It's Tebow Time!"

Being a Tebow fan, I have read numerous articles about him and the deep polarizing effect he has had on the nation. It has dumbfounded me how people can hate and despise this guy. Hate the dog fighter Michael Vick, hate the wife abuser Brandon Marshall, hate the drug dealer Sam Hurd, hate the grossly unfaithful Tiger. But hate a guy who's only offense is to praise God and win football games? It makes me question what has happened in America. The fact that people so venomously oppose him simply because he is a "Jesus Freak" is a sad testimony of the downward spiral our country is in. We have become accustomed to failure. We have come to expect disappointment. We distrust those who appear good. We understand failure and others failure makes ours seem not as bad. Tebow haters just can't fathom a person can really be that genuinely good. He is filled with the spirit and that irks those who are not.

Tebow is just too good to be true in modern times. He is an amazing athlete who never takes the credit for himself, despite his incredible work ethic and dedication. His life has been shaped by football but says that wining isn't what mattered, spending time with a kid dying from leukemia before the game is what really mattered. He doesn't enjoy the fame and accolades for himself, but instead uses it as a platform to praise God and build a hospital in the Philippines for children. Tebow seems to always turn the other cheek no matter how hard he gets slapped by players and the media. In today's sex driven culture, it's hard to accept a gorgeous man with fame and fortune would choose to remain a virgin until he is married. Not if you are Tim Tebow.

We are so jaded by all the bad in the world and the repeated disappointment of star athletes, politicians, and religious leaders that people's hearts have hardened to all the good and automatically distrust and in many cases despise the righteous. As far as his constant shouts out to the Lord, regardless of win or fail, I think Tebow said it best. "But say I'm getting married. Is it enough for me to tell my wife on the day of our wedding that I love her? Or do I tell her at every opportunity?" Buddy, you tell her every chance you get! If only we could all be so bold in our faith. It's Tebow Time.

I have collected a handful of articles discussing the Tebow mania. Some articles are even saying he is going to shape business management styles into a "nice guy" style versus the narcissistic style that dominates today. Praise Jesus! He is ranking up there with Taylor Swift and Tom Hanks in celebrity recognition. Articles on Tebow have appeared in nearly every newspaper and major magazines such as Time, the Wall Street Journal , and the New York Times. Tebowing, mimicking Tebow as he takes a knee in prayer no matter what others around him are doing, was just registered as a new word. "The rapid rise of the word has seldom been equalled, the Global Language Monitor said in a statement this week that anointed Tebowing as and official word." He is in Time Magazine's 2011 People of the Year issue for people that mattered. Clearly, it's Tebow Time.

America is hungry for a stand-up athlete. A guy who is who he says he is. A guy who puts others before himself. A guy who loves God. A leader that inspires others. A man that uses his words to build others up instead of tear them down. If only there were more Tebows in our world. As the Tebow tornado has swirled through the sports community I have watched Tebow win announcer after announcer over. They are starting to believe that he really believes what he says. After one game they even commented on the good energy that he brought to the table. Tebow is a bright light in a dark world. I have high hopes that he will usher in a new way of doing business. That he will truly be the spark that starts a new generation of athletes on the right path and maybe teaches the rest of us a thing or two along the way. It's Tebow Time!

Go Broncos! Arizona is one of only 3 states in America NOT showing the Bronco's game today. Even Alaska and Hawaii are getting it. Win or lose Tebow is a winner. I will try not to be a loser and talk about what a stupid state this is. :)

Gingerbread Houses With Grammy

2011-12-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Grammy came to town this week and its almost as good as Santa coming to town (for me too)!

They made Gingerbread houses and had a sticky, sweet time!

We had two teams with Grammy acting as the coach. :)

Hailey and Hank's

Karlie and Kaitlin's

Phoenix Wonderland

2011-12-11T20:27:00.001-07:00

December in Phoenix is a strange thing. The kids were outside jumping on the tramp in their shorts and tank tops. Not exactly what Christmas time conjures up in one's mind but the kids seem to be handling it ok.

Today the kids had their Christmas program at church where they sang Phoenix Wonderland. It was very clever and cute. Hank turned toward the band and rang his jingle bells for most of his song. I got some great shots of the back of his head. :)

Palm trees wave, are you listenin'
In the pool, water's glistenin'
A warm sunny day, we like it that way
Livin' in a Phoenix wonderland

Gone away is the blizzard
Here to stay is the lizard
A warm sunny day, we like it that way
Livin' in a Phoenix wonderland

In the desert we can have a picnic
Cactus, sand, rattlesnakes and sun
Christmas dinner is an old tradition
It's pinto beans and tacos by the ton

Later on, we'll perspire
Temperatures rise even higher
A warm sunny day, we like it that way
Living in a Phoenix wonderland

Christmas Favorites

2011-12-09T19:11:00.001-07:00

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love so many things about this wonderful time. Here are a few.
1. Lights.
2. Thinking of gifts that will put a smile on my loved one's faces.
3. Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer movie
4. Singing Christmas hymns in church.
5. Reading the story of Jesus' birth to the kids on Christmas Eve.
6. Decorating the Christmas tree.
7. Christmas music.
8. Hot coco
9. Polar Express movie.
10. Lots of reasons to eat yummy food!
11. Extra time with family and friends.
12. Special occasions to get all dressed up for.
13. Baking all sorts of treats.
14. Presents!
15. Celebration Ale (OK, that's Max's).
16. Stockings.
17. Christmas cards.
18. Christmas eve PJs.
19. Zoo Lights.
20. Kids Christmas performance at church.
21. Kids class parties.
22. The palpable magic of the season you feel with each Merry Christmas wish.
23. Cutting down our Christmas tree.
24. Advent calendar. The kids are so excited every morning to get their treat.
25. Celebrating the ultimate birthday and giving thanks for the gift.

Baby It's Cold Outside!!

2011-12-04T20:57:00.001-07:00

It finally got cold in Arizona! We have been in the upper 50's and loving it. We are enjoying being bundled up by the fire, snuggled in sweaters, and drinking lots of hot coco!

We took our Christmas card pictures today. I just had to get a cactus in there. :) The thorn in my side.

Here is the other thorn in my side.

Friday night we put up the decorations inside.

Max has spent much of the weekend decorating the outside. That is another post on it's own.

The kids have been playing in coats!

It is finally beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Home

2011-11-30T12:31:00.001-07:00

We were so excited to get to go home for Thanksgiving. We took the first flight out at 6:30 am, which meant getting up at 3:30 am!

We were too excited to be tired. The flights were awesome. We have reached that point. No strollers and the kids are able to entertain themselves. Both Max and I read our books! Gasp! They were great little travelers.

The definition of home is a place of residence or refuge.

It is usually a place where a family can rest and store personal property.

It can also be a place a person grew up or feels they belong.

Some would say, "home is where your heart is."

Going home was hard. I love Colorado and I love all my family that is there.

So while my place of refuge is in AZ, my heart is still in CO.

It is hard to not be a part of all the family things we always did. I was thrilled the kids still got to do the annual rake leaves and jump in them with the cousins.

I was thankful we got to celebrate Thanksgiving with my extend family. My Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Dan hosted nearly 40 people. It was great to see everyone, but it didn't have the same lightness and joyfulness that it usually does because it was an isolated event for us rather than a regular tradition. I felt the reality that you can't go home.

We tried to see everyone. This meant on some days we were on a two hour visiting schedule. The girls spent the night at different house nearly every night.

We soaked up our time with cousins, family and friends.

I made blackberry pies with my grandmothers mixer that she received as a wedding present in the 40's!

It was grand to have leaves to take fall pictures in.

I had to laugh at this picture Max took. Guess you couldn't tell we are sisters.

Almost 1000 miles apart and we plan nearly identical outfits for Thanksgiving. :)

Grammy and Papa's full house!

This was the only picture we got at Thanksgiving. Too busy eating.

Hailey and Papa had a deep chat under the stars.

We had a fun night with our friends.

The kids also enjoyed a night or two with their friends.

Kissing Cousins.

The grand finale was Elsa with the family. A tradition I miss greatly. After a very busy and exhausting 5 days, I was happy to come home but it didn't feel like home. It was nice to be in our own beds but it didn't have that comforting sensation of home. Not yet anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T15:24:00.001-07:00

MKHKKH wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ish-shoes

2011-11-21T18:24:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we head home sweet home for the holidays! As I have been packing and making list after list hoping to not forget anything major, I had to laugh at my line up of shoes. I have planned to pack 5 pairs of shoes for 5 days of travel. I love shoes. I am going somewhere cold and have to try to wear every pair of boots I have. I guess you could say I have ish-shoes!

Funky Friday

2011-11-18T09:10:00.001-07:00

Today is Funky Friday at the girls' school! They were all a twitter this morning as they got to go crazy with their outfits and hair. The more mismatched, the better.

Karlie went with a bounty of bows. Aside from the bun I did for her, she did it all on her own.

Kaitlin added a twist to hers.

Hailey rocked the nerd look, broken glasses and all.

Well, he doesn't need it to be a Friday to be a freak. It just comes naturally. :)

Expensive Day At The Zoo

2011-11-15T14:10:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend Hank was given Max the Monkey, the class pet, to take home. He has a journal and you are suppose to take pictures and log what you did with Max the Monkey. We decided it would be fun for Max the Monkey to visit the Phoenix zoo with us.

The Denver Zoo was an integral part of our lives. Whenever we had nothing to do, we went to the zoo. We could pack a lunch and with our membership have a "free day" of activities. I loved going to the zoo with the kids, especially in the summer.

Well, there was no way I was going to the zoo in July, or August, or September, or even October. Finally the weather is perfect for the zoo. We had high hopes since it ranked so highly for zoos in America. We had been waiting all summer. We read about the carousel and the train. We hoped it would be as fun as the ones at the Denver Zoo.

The entry was breath taking with the giraffe and other African animals roaming together. Of course the lions were in their own area. But our trip went steadily down hill after that.

There is a large desert section that was a waste of time. I can go out my backyard and see a bunch of cacti and snakes. No thanks.

For whatever reason there seemed to be very few animals. We saw just and handful of animals. No seals, no polar bears, no hippos, or tropical discoveries. Only one elephant, one lion, and two rhinos. We were surrounded by monkeys, but most of them belonged to me.

They did have a camel ride, but it was 4 bucks extra. The train wasn't even a real train, it had wheels. The carousel was so unexciting there wasn't even a line to ride it and no one protested when I said we were not riding it. The most disappointing feature was everything in the zoo costs extra. $2-$5 bucks per person for the train, the carousel, the slide, the sting ray bay, and the camel adds up very fast. It seems they attempt to gouge you any way they can. A bottle of water is $4!! I could get the kids big ice creams at the Denver zoo for $2. No more "free" trips to the zoo.

It was just one of those days. First we realized we had forgotten Max the Monkey, one of the main reasons for going. Next, we remembered Hailey's horse lessons that we missed. Then the zoo was a disappointment, Hank was being a pill, the little kids were squabbling, and finally Max told Karlie to leave the stroller alone since she was constantly knocking jackets and snacks off. Of course she touched the stroller and it tipped over throwing our good Nikon camera to the ground with a loud crash! It's never good when your camera makes a rattling noise and won't focus. Add a Nikon camera to the bill for the day. :( No more pictures for awhile. By that point I was ready to throw all the little ones in with the Baboons. It all added up that we are not sure we want to attempt the zoo lights. High expectations + high cost = disappointment.

Colonial Day

2011-11-14T15:21:00.001-07:00

Last Week the 5th graders celebrated Colonial Day. While Hank was at school, I got to help. The day is completely organized by the parents and the kids rotate through stations doing things people in the colonial times would have done. Everyone wears a costume.

I had heard what a big deal it was, so as soon as the costumes went on clearance after Halloween, I grabbed them!

They had a pillory and hay bales for pictures. We were good girls and didn't get sent to the pillory. I am thinking they should bring those back and put one in each classroom. Maybe then the kids wouldn't be so disrespectful.

Cross stitching station.

Dried flower photo frames.

The bird feeder station was where I got ~~sentenced~~ to work. One kid thought the lard was icing and took a big bite. He won't make that mistake again! By the end of the day, I had the softest hands. Maybe I should try rubbing a little shortening around my eyes as an anti-aging cream.

They also made corn husk dolls, candles, tin art and played colonial games like walking on stilts. It was a fun day and I treasured being able to spend the day with Hailey. Soon my girl won't even want to be seen with me dropping her off at school, much less in a pioneer costume.

11 Things We Did on 11/11/11

2011-11-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

11/11/11 only comes around every 100 years. Since none of us are likely to see it again, I thought we should make it a special day. The kids and Max had the day off, so it was a great day together being one unit.

1. Hailey started her orthodontia treatment and got an expander and head-gear. She is such a tough cookie. She has hardy complained at all and just keeps smiling.

2. On 11:11 11/11/11 we made a wish. Of course per the legend I can't tell you what they were.

3. We hit 7-11 for a special treat!

4. We monkeyed around at the park for about an hour and 11 minutes. :)

5. While Hank napped the girls made 11 Happy Thanksgiving cards.

6. We made 11 pumpkin muffins. I dropped the pan and one of them flipped out. The recipe makes a dozen but as fate would have it, today we had 11.

7. We played Bunco to 11. Kaitlin won!

8. We remember our Veterans and all the sacrifices they have made for our freedoms that we often take for granted.

9. We joined our church in packing 11,111 meals! It was in partnership with Stop Hunger Now. The kids really enjoyed helping and being a part of something that helps others. Even Hank "helped."

10. The kids each chose 11 items of clothes to donate to their sister school.

11. We prayed 11 prayers.

We pray our friend Bill finds employment very soon.

We pray for our friends who are having a difficult time in their marriage and for their kids.

We pray my sister has a healthy pregnancy and delivery. We can't wait to meet our latest blessing!

We pray for the 1 billion people suffering due to lack of clean water and enough food.

We pray for the soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and for those who continue to make sacrifices for our freedoms.

We pray for the families of our troops. They too sacrifice much.

We pray Hailey doesn't have too much pain.

We pray that everyone gets healthy.

We give thanks for Max's job.

We give thanks for our neighbors who have welcomed us with open hearts and arms and that they will not be moving to New York!

We give thanks for our church. It was very moving to share a meal and make meals as a church family.

11/11/11 was ONE heck of a day.

Sweet Spidey

2011-11-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

We have a superhero in the house. He was quite proud that he swiped Daddy's badge when Max came home for lunch. He even sleeps in his alter ego.

Spiderman, Spiderman,

Does whatever a spider can

Spins a web, any size

Catches thieves just like flies

Look Out!

Here Comes the Spiderman!!

Spiderman, Spiderman

Is a sweet Spidey Boy,

Swipes a badge whenever he can,

Crashes out like nobody can,

Look Out!

Here comes our Spiderman!!

Pops and Nana's Cool Visit

2011-11-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with a bounty of visitors over the last month. Last weekend Nana and Pops made it out for a very cool time. Unfortunately they landed during a Haboob so the sun was blocked out and it had a feel as though the end of the world was coming. Thankfully, a cold front moved in and washed it all away.

The temperatures were delightful, for us anyway. I am sure Pops and Nana wouldn't have minded some super warm days.

To celebrate we made Paella! If you have ever cooked Paella then you know it is an event where the rewards are reaped after investing in quality ingredients and lots of caring attention. A few Martinis helped guide our chefs.

This was Max's first time as Paella head chef. Hank and Pops served as his sous-chefs.

Karlie knitted as she patiently waited. Notice she chose to do it outside in her coat and scarf to soak up the cooler temps! She definitely looks cool :)

Almost time for the sea critters.

Just enough time for a dance with Pops.

Bam!!! Max's first debut was perfect. He even obtained the little crunch on the rice. Impressive. It's either beginners luck or he is a natural. I suppose having an expert as sous-chef didn't hurt.

Yep, always watching those calories around our house.

The next day we went for a walk in the beautiful (at least that what people keep trying to convince me) desert.

Pops was the only one that got bit by a cactus. Watch out for those Cholla! Flip flops and desert don't mix.

Pops gave the kids a barbed wire fence lessons after Hailey thought she would try to climb over it to the reservation.

Max and Pops got out for a ride. Nana and Hailey took to the trails and tore it up so much that Hailey's pedal came off! There was a little shopping and coffee treat too while the k buddies were at a birthday party.

Pops and Nana got to see Max's prestigious cubicle. :)

A very cool time. Thank you for coming and remember it's a "beautiful" place to visit! So come as often as your heart longs for the sight of nuclear holocaust looking haboobs, death desert, cactus, dirt, and vile animals. One beautiful thing is the scorpions have gone to bed for the winter. You know they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :) Love you guys.

Fall Ramekin Recipes

2011-11-08T14:45:00.001-07:00

Fall has finally come! We have had temperatures down to the mid 40s at night and yesterday was the most gloriously cold day with a high of only 57!!! We are really enjoying a taste of fall. Target had these cute little Ramekins that just begged from the shelf to take them home and fill them up with all sorts of warm and comforting fall dishes.

The first ramekin recipe was individual chicken pot pies. I made them the week of Halloween and turned a few into jack-o'-lantern faces. Here is the link to Cat Cora's Chicken Pot Pies. It is so easy to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the market and make these delicious little guys. The only thing I would change next time is to not have the 1 inch overhang of the Puff Pastry. I will just trace it exactly and press it snug on the Ramekin otherwise the pastry bubbles over.

The next hardy recipe was individual Italian Shepard pies. You can find this recipe from Taste of Home here. I paired it with pasta for the kids and a salad for the adults. It was very easy and filling.

The final and best fall ramekin recipe was this Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp from Ina Garten. Max claims it is the best crisp he has ever had. If you are looking for a warm, fall desert this is the recipe you need to try!

With the cooler temperatures I finally feel like I have my oven back. This shortened fall and winter season could prove to be a heavy consequence as I am cooking rich, hardy (read between the lines, tons of calories and fat) and comforting foods every day of the week in an attempt to capture fall while it is here. Lean fish and fruit salads can wait until March. :)

Hallopalooza!

2011-11-01T20:16:00.000-06:00

Holy Halloween Batman!!!

I feel like we just finished up a Hallopalooza after 4 days of parties, trunk or treats and the grand finally of trick or treating on Halloween!

Friday was Kaitlin and Karlie's Harvest Parties. The Kindergarten moms set up a pumpkin patch at the school for the kids to pick out a pumpkin.

They got to decorate pumpkins, cookies, and do all sorts of tricks.

The best treat was when they got home and Grammy and Papa were waiting!

On Saturday we visited the famous fountain in Fountain Hills and enjoyed playing at the park.

Saturday night our neighbors had a Halloween party and invited the entire neighborhood. I won't be throwing any parties here. Their party was better than my wedding! They had a live 7 member band, Famous Dave's BBQ catered with wait staff, an open bar, a giant haunted bounce house for the kids, professional life size decorations and hired three babysitters to tend to all the kids! The adult costumes were better than many of the kid costumes. This was an entirely different league of Halloween party.

If we hadn't had enough Halloween fun, our church hosted a Trunk or Treat. They do things a little differently here. The Trunk or Treats we are use to involve just going from each themed trunk to the next. They took it up a notch and had a free carnival with all you could eat fair-style food too. Completely free!

Our superheroes had to climb to the highest point. Both Hailey and Kaitlin made it to the top!

Karlie got a little nervous about half way up!

On Monday Hank and Hailey had their parties! Max had the day off and got to work the popcorn skeleton glove station at Hailey's party. Hank's preschool class did a little Halloween performance where they sang Halloween songs. It was so cute!

Most of the time Hank was rubbing his nose, so much that people in the audience started laughing. I was just thankful he didn't pick his nose! He was the one the teacher had to put back in place and the one that was not singing, off in his own world. Yes, Hank is that boy.

Finally the big night arrived!

Spider-man was ready!

Batgirl was ready!

Supergirl was ready!

Wonder Woman was ready!

Our neighborhood is really, really dark. As in there is not a single street lamp. So Max decked out the truck with Halloween lights and chauffeured the neighborhood kids door to door. Doing things in a new place always brings new surprises. Many people handed out full size candy bars! The kids' bags got so heavy that both Hank and Hailey's strap broke. Holy Candy! We took a vote and unanimously agreed that Halloween is better here. No coats, no boots or freezing sleet and everyone goes all out. It was a really Happy Halloween for goblins and superheroes alike.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T13:14:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween from MKHKKH!

We figured the desert needed a few Superheros to keep the neighborhood safe from scorpions, snakes, spiders, bobcats, and javelinas!

We always knew we had super kids. :) We hope you have a super night!

Jack-O'-Lanterns Desert Style

2011-10-30T08:16:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we carved our pumpkins.

It was strange to be outside in the upper 80s with tank tops and shorts on as we turned our pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns.

Hailey did her pumpkin 100% on her own this year!

Max helped Hank carve a Batman jack-o-lantern.

Kaitlin told me what shapes to put where to create her masterpiece.

Karlie did the tracing for her's but needed help cutting. Grammy won the blue ribbon for her skeleton pumpkin.

I think our pumpkins are pretty happy.

Cath and The Kids

2011-10-26T13:54:00.000-06:00

Cath and the kids came to visit us for their fall break! We had so much fun playing. It was like old times.

The kids have always played so well together. They just picked up where they left off and had a blast. Jack and Hank are the brother neither has but have always wanted.

We even made mermaid tails. It seems our school is growing.

With all that estrogen swimming around, the boys had to stick together.

There was lots of eating (what's new?). After having 7 kids ages 3-10 in the house, multiple grocery trips, and insane amounts of dishes; I can not imagine how the Duggars do it!

We visited the Railroad Park.

We went to McDonald's Ranch to visit Arizona's best attempt at a pumpkin patch.

The ladies practiced lassoing bulls.

Hank kept asking if there was going to be a pig on McDonald's Farm. He was elated when he found Wilbur. He just hugged him over and over.

A genuine cowboy named Dallas took us out to the pumpkin patch. He let Jack and Hank sit up front. He said in his best, throaty cowboy voice, "Me, Jack and Hank go way back." The three cowboys discussed fishing, Star Wars and Colorado. Dallas holed up in Durango for a time. He gave Jack a horseshoe to take home.

I just can't get on board with a pumpkin patch in the desert with it so warm outside that tank tops are in order. But I think I am the only stick in the mud. The kids had a hootin and hollerin good time riding horses, doing sack races, throwing horseshoes, petting bunnies, chickens, goats, donkeys and cows. Hank, who has been allergic to animals in the past, did well enough I let him ride the horse too. He was thrilled and exclaimed, "I never rid a haus before!"

Thank you so much for spending your break with us. You filled our house with laughter and joy. We miss you already. Y-all come back now ya-hear!?!

Totally Taylor!!!

2011-10-23T21:17:00.000-06:00

Saturday night we were lucky enough to go to the Taylor Swift concert!!!

I bought tickets when we first moved here in hopes of getting the girls excited about their new home. I had bought 6 tickets because I didn't know if we would have a babysitter for Hank. We have since found a great gal to watch the kids. Since we didn't have to bring Hank, Hailey got to bring her BFF! There was so much girl giggling going on.

I think I was as excited about this night as they were. Nothing gets me more pumped than making my kids' dreams come true. Last night was one of those really happy and memorable nights where everything goes as planned or better than. :)

We got all glittered up with sparkling shirts, lip gloss, and glitter in the girls' hair.

Then we got there and waited.... And waited. The girls were not interested in the opening acts. Where was Taylor!?!?!

Finally at 8:30 she came on!

Hailey and her friend screamed SO loud they were nearly hoarse by the end of it.

It was awesome when Taylor walked through the pit and came sang right by us!

Biggest Fans!

I must say that it was a very good concert and that Taylor Swift must be one of the nicest, most grateful singers in the business. She was wonder struck with thunderous, shrieking crowd. (Max and I were deaf. Thank goodness for the ear plugs I brought!)

Poor Kaitlin tired to hang on but crashed out at 10:30. We didn't make it home until midnight. I guess our princess turned into a pumpkin. It was a perfect first concert for our ladies. Max and I were overjoyed as we watched them belt out the lyrics and scream, "I love you Taylor!!!" It was a Totally Taylor night!

Bringing the Boo

2011-10-22T10:31:00.000-06:00

We brought a little Colorado Halloween Spirit with us and started a Boo sensation in our neighborhood. We made these Pumpkin Treats for our Boo Bags.

The kids had so much fun picking out little treats for their friends. But they were beyond excited as dark approached and we loaded up to Boo them. Hailey kept saying her tummy was dropping. We successfully dropped the treats, rang the bell and left unknown at both houses! Hank busted us the next morning at the bus stop when he could no longer contain himself and blurted out, "We did it!" The two friends we Booed had never been Booed. We have since been booed back and we see the chain of boo as more and more doors have the We've Been Booed sign hanging on them.

We are now onto Booing people Max works with. We are having a Spooktacular October spreading a little Boo around the desert.

Here is the Booghram (just click on it to print) if you would like to spread a little tradition in your neighborhood.

Max's Morgue

2011-10-18T14:21:00.000-06:00

Our annual Skelly Jammies led to Max's Morgue.

Pathologist sense of humor...

Sedona

2011-10-16T21:34:00.001-06:00

Our last stop before arriving home was to drive through Sedona, AZ which is only an hour and a half from us. Oak Creek Canyon is often referred to as a small cousin of the Grand Canyon.

The scenery is breath taking.

We were about a week early for the peak fall colors, but we were very happy with the beautiful colors that were starting.

These caterpillars were everywhere along our hike. If anyone is a caterpillar expert and wants to inform us why they are all out in mid October, I would be delighted to know. Seems pretty late for moths and butterflies, but I am not in Kansas anymore.

The girls were the official caterpillar look out crew. They alerted us not to step on each one they found.

After our incredible hike in Oak Creek Canyon, we drove to Slide Rock.

The kids decided this was God's playground since there was a natural water slide.

First Max took Hailey down the slide to test the rapids.

It was ice cold!

Hailey loved it!

Next up was Karlie.

Kaitlin could hardly wait for her turn.

Then she felt the water and thought twice about it.

But she was all smiles.

Poor Max had to brave God's freezing, cold slide 4 times. Hank did not enjoy it as much as the girls did, so as they slid by, I pulled him out.

Sedona was a grand finally to our wonderful trip to conquer one more state in the Family Fifty.

Boy are my expectations high for the remaining 40. :)

Flagstaff

2011-10-15T15:23:00.001-06:00

As we continued our journey home, we stayed a few nights in Flagstaff to enjoy a true fall.

Hiking in the San Fransisco Mountains, which are from an extinct volcano.

Walking on trees.

Seeing pretty fall leaves.

Climbing rocks.

He thinks he is King of the world!

Hanging out with the pack.

Listening to the aspen quaking.

Smelling that crisp mountain air.

Max just couldn't resist taking the 4 wheel drive trail. I reminded him that the black bus is a city car but he wanted to see what she could do and had to get a little mud on the tires.

The kids were delighted and giggled endlessly as they were tossed back and forth. I seep a jeep in our future...

We tried to be outside in the cool upper 60s as much as possible.

The kids had a blast tackling Daddy and playing in the grass.

He was a little outnumbered.

But I think he was okay with it as they rolled in the grass for over an hour!

It was really nice few days away from the heat and to feel like it was fall.

We are now back in the pool and in flip flops. When we left Flagstaff it was 38 degrees. When we arrived home, it was 98 degrees. That is quite the range for a three hour drive! I think we will be making the drive a lot! Like maybe Max will be commuting. :)

Winslow, Arizona

2011-10-14T08:55:00.000-06:00

On our way back home we took a different route. We decided it would be fun to go through Winslow, Arizona along route 66.

We played the Eagles' Take it Easy. The kids didn't think it was nearly as cool as Max and I did. :)

It was fun to be standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.

Take It Easy – Eagles Song Lyrics

Balloon Fiesta 2011

2011-10-13T08:24:00.000-06:00

Since I hadn't tortured my family enough the night before, we woke the kids up at 4 am to get down to the final morning of the Balloon Fiesta! It was 32 degrees out as we watched the Dawn Patrol balloons begin to ascend.

There was a palpable excitement in the air as 100s of balloons began to inflate.

This was the 40th Anniversary of the Balloon Fiesta. "The Greatest Show Off the Earth!"

The national anthem was sang as the alien balloon rose with the flag.

It is the largest ballooning event on earth!

Pilots from over 20 countries were represented at the event.

It is the most photographed event on the planet.

Over 800,000 people will attend during the week long Balloon Fiesta.

It is the largest international event held in the US.

A little reminder of home.

100 special shape balloons were at the fiesta.

Darth Vader was the favorite. They had a team of Storm Troopers to take pictures with. I got the best picture of Hank with them, but he deleted the photo off my phone before I got to transfer it. :(

Mass ascension of nearly 700 balloons takes 2 hours.

Our eyes just feasted as the balloons continued to ascended around us. This was Spider Pigs first year! We were all excited to see the Colorado Balloon!

This was one of those rare times that the experienced exceeded my expectations. The kids enjoyed it as much as Max and I did. It was spectacular. If you ever get the chance to go, do it. It really is the greatest show off earth!

New Mexico

2011-10-11T19:04:00.000-06:00

In quest of our 10th state, we set off for New Mexico's annual Balloon Fiesta! We were encouraged as we departed and a rainbow appeared before us. We took this as a good omen for our event filled trip ahead!

listen to ‘Circle of Life’ on Audioboo

Our theme song for this trip was the Circle of Life from Lion King. The beginning of the song starts out with a very memorable start. Hank thinks it is "Jalepenoooo Oh My Kichiwa!" We were all singing it through out our trip. Hopefully every time they hear the song, they will be transported to the Balloon Fiesta.

Every time we started our drive, I blared the Circle of Life to start our journey. They also got a surprise when I had the Lion King DVD for them to watch. Thank the Lord for car DVDs! It make driving so easy and enjoyable.

New Mexico here we come!!

After checking into our hotel that we have deemed the RIO RAUNCHO (the price you pay for reserving a hotel a week before an event that brings over 100K people to Albuquerque! Hopefully we didn't bring any bedbugs home with us. LOL) we headed to the Balloon Fiesta for the Twilight Twinkle Glow. The balloonist light up their balloons like lanterns in the dark.

But first we had to stuff our face with as much fair style dinner as we could. We had a nutritious dinner of nachos, pizza, funnel cakes and turkey legs!

It was so wonderful to be all bundled up and cold again.

As dusk came, the balloons began to inflate the balloons. I can't describe how glorious it was. I was brought to tears many times this trip. The kids just couldn't understand that I was overflowing with joy that I was tearing up. One day they will understand how magical and precious this weekend was to Max and me.

The panorama of giant lanterns around us.

The field warmed as the balloons radiated heat. It was so lovely. I didn't want it to end.

I am an over planner and have always been. We were going to see everything the Fiesta had to offer. Never mind that Max had driven over 400 miles and everyone was exhausted. We were going to stay for the fireworks even though the little ones missed their naps, it was after 9 pm, and everyone had gotten their fill of being cold. We just had to see it all.

As we watched the most spectacular fireworks display the kids have ever seen, Karlie whispered to me that it was "like heaven raining down."

I couldn't have said it better my sweet one.

Family Fifty

2011-10-07T16:23:00.000-06:00

Our road trip over the summer has inspired us to try for the Family Fifty! We are going to try and visit all 50 states before Hailey graduates high school. As a family we have visited 9 states thus far, we are going after our 10th state this weekend. We have 7 years to conquer the remaining 40. That means we will need to average 5 or 6 a year. The kids are really excited about it. We only hope their enthusiasm persists through the teen years. We are looking forward to seeing all of beautiful American and learning a little about each of her states. It will be a big challenge but a wonderful adventure that hopefully will leave the kids with memories to last a lifetime.

A Little Arizona Humor

2011-10-01T10:19:00.000-06:00

A fellow desert hater friend of mine e-mailed me this and I laughed so hard. It gives you a little glimpse of this place we call home.

Dear Diary-Arizona

Dear Diary,

Just moved to Arizona ! Now this is a state that knows how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. It is beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.

June 14th: Really heating up. Got to 100 today.Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this. I'm turning into a sun worshiper.

June 30th: Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July10th: The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least, it's kind of windy though. But getting used to the heat is taking longer than I expected.

July 15th: Fell asleep by the community pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 20th: I missed Lomita (my cat) sneaking into the car when I left this morning. By the time I got to the hot car at noon, Lomita had died and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water balloon. The car now smells like Kibbles and S%&*s. I learned my lesson though. No more pets in this heat. Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again.

July 25th: The wind sucks. It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot as hell. The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman charged $200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.

July 30th: Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now, $225,000 house and I can't even go inside. Lomita is the lucky one. Why did I ever come here?

Aug. 4th: Its 115 degrees. Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85. I hate this stupid state.

Aug. 8th: If another wise a$$ cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?' I'm going to strangle him. Damn heat. By the time I get to work, the radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!

Aug. 9th: Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and when I sat on the seats in the car, I thought my a$$ was on fire. My skin melted to the seat. I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the back of my legs and a$$ . . . Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried a$$, and baked cat.

Aug 10th: The weather report might as well be a damn recording. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny. It's been too hot to do s*&# for 2 damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever rain in this damn state? Water rationing will be next, so my $1700 worth of cactus will just dry up and blow over. Even the cactus can't live in this damn heat.

Aug. 14th: Welcome to HELL! Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead. Forgot to crack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car. The installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me??? "Hot enough for you today?" My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail. Freaking Arizona ! What kind of a sick demented idiot would want to live here?? Will write later to let you know how the trial goes.

The diary should continue through all of September that has been near 100 degrees. The forecast is saying it might get into the high 80s next week. I will believe it when I see it. Freaking Arizona!! :)

I Bet My Spider is Bigger Than Yours

2011-09-27T07:55:00.001-06:00

If burning hot temperatures, scorpions, giant sun spiders, and snakes weren't enough to make you think this was the gates to hell, how about a tarantula. This morning as Max went out to go to work he found a tarantula. A freaking, hairy, scary, huge tarantula sitting in the driveway. My driveway!

Over the weekend Max decided to take on the scorpions himself. We have had a bug spraying service since we moved in, but are still averaging 5 scorpions a week inside. Not livable. So Max bought all of the chemicals for warfare and attacked. He battled for over 3 hours on Sunday. I think this tarantula was one of his first battle victories. It appeared mortally wounded or already dead since it didn't move as Max backed out and ran over it. I can only hope the slaughter continues. Evil, satanic bugs beware. We are after you...

Kaitlin Missing Daisy

2011-09-26T14:44:00.000-06:00

Daisy is in heaven with the bright light shining on her. Her belly is all big and we are on the sides of Kaitlin crying. She writes I love U Soooooo. Sums up the mood here. :(

Good Bye Dear Daisy

2011-09-25T13:25:00.000-06:00

Last night we lost our dear old Daisy Dog. After eating her dinner she got twisted gut and we had to put her down. It leaves a hole in our heart. We will miss her greatly.

She was my first baby.

She taught Max and I so much about parenting. One of the best words of advice I got was from Max's uncle who said something along the lines of, "Don't have any kids until you have raised a dog. If you have a well behaved dog then you are ready for kids."

She destroyed a love seat couch as a puppy because she was mad we left her. She taught us responsibility, discipline and the rewards of love.

She has been a fixture in all of the events of our life.

She was in our wedding.

She survived our rowdy college days.

She has out lasted Boomer, Chopper and Maggie.

She lived through the births of Hailey, Karlie, Kaitlin and Hank where she was bumped a little further down the totem pole each time. However, she never once snarled or growled as the intruders crawled on her, poked her eyes, or pulled her ears. She just kept on being good old Daisy Dog.

Someone to snuggle.

Someone to play in the snow with.

Someone to eat the dropped food and lick their face clean.

Someone to play dress-up with.

She was such a major part our of our lives. She endured 7 moves, 4 kids and three states. We will not think back on these times without thoughts of her intertwined throughout them. She was always there to love on and snuggle in good times and bad. Daisy and our baby years will always be bonded in time.

She had a really good last two months. Forever the faithful and loving best friend. Despite her arthritis she hobbled back to our bedroom each night to sleep near her master. She use to sleep under the sheets at Max's feet as a puppy. Then the babies came and she got booted to the floor but she always waited for us to go to bed and followed us out in the morning. She eagerly greeted Max and the kids when they came home. She loved us the way only a dog can, unconditionally. Our grey ghost is running again with her three amigos and waiting for the day her master comes home for good. We love you old girl.

First Day of Fall Arizona Style

2011-09-24T07:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the first day of fall. I wanted to make it a special day because fall doesn't exist here. It was a high of 106 degrees. :( Doesn't exactly conjure up images of fall leaves, pumpkins and warm, fat filled dinners. I decided to force us to think of those things.

We started the morning with a little present of warm socks that I know they will need one day and some Halloween pencils.

When they got home the house smelled of fresh pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

We made fall leaves croutons for our salad.

We ate enchiladas in our bathing suits. So not really fall but still really fun.

We put the fire app on the computer and roasted marshmallows over the gas stove. It is still way to hot to consider a real fire outside.

I found these gigantic, campfire marshmallows!

Too much of a good thing. The kids could hardly get them in their mouth.

But, kids are persistent.

They ate every last drop of sticky marshmallow goo!

Our bedtime story was There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves.

We tried hard to convince ourselves that it is now officially fall. Now if we can get the weather man on board...

The Dating Game

2011-09-22T18:42:00.000-06:00

It has been a long time since I have dated. Well, I don't suppose I ever really dated. Middle school doesn't count. Since moving to Arizona I find myself in the dating scene. With women. Now don't get up in arms, I feel like I am dating moms. In the past I have had friends through school, work or classes that the kids took, or friends that were friends of family. We became friends by our common pursuit, stage of life or location. Here I am starting without those systems in place. Max has an instant connection and group of guys through work but I have been dating. This is how it goes...

First you scope each other out as you drop off the kids at school. You notice each other and then one morning someone actually says, "hi." Then it may be a few more passes before one of you decide to introduce yourself. Then you say "hi" with each others name a few days in a row. Then after the kids are in their room you strike up a conversation that eventually leads to a, "We should get together sometime." You go home and examine your calendars and find a day you can both meet. If they also have a younger child then we meet at the park to chat while the kids play. If not you meet at some other neutral location like a coffee shop while Hank is in preschool. If that date goes well then you are ready to move to the next level in the relationship and have them over to your house.

They come over and your house is spectacularly clean and you pretend like it is always that way. You make sweet treats for the kids and have lots of fruits and vegetables available too. You slowly start to find out how they ended up in the God forsaken desert, a little about their husbands, what they do when they are not volunteering at the school or doing mom chores. If all goes well, she invites you to her house and you get to know them a little better. At some point in the relationship you decide if it is worth investing yourself and to keep dating or cut her loose and vice versa. This is far more difficult than breaking up with some dude that you are never going to see. You will still see her every morning.

When the dating is going well you decide that since you are friends and your kids are friends maybe your husbands could be friends. This is a rare occurrence. We have made it this far in the dating game twice since we have been here. At this point you realize they are either going to be mom only friends or maybe just maybe you could be family friends. Months and months of dating ahead to find out. It is so much work!!

How I long for those easy friendships that just happened. It was a unique time of sharing the struggles of school, being broke, getting pregnant and starting to emerge as true adults. Sharing the growing pains allowed us to bond in a strong way that transcended all the other stuff that gets in the way of just being who you are. It forged bonds that have lasted a decade.

Maybe I am looking for a rebound? I have been on three dates this week alone and got invited to two second dates. Does that mean I am cheating??? :) So much to learn in the dating game.

Birthday Boys!

2011-09-19T16:36:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend we celebrated RJ's 7th birthday and Snork's 60th birthday!

For Snork's present I had the kids do Canvas with Katie! Similar to the Canvas and Cocktails session I went to with my sisters, I got the kids all set up with their own canvas, a palate of paint, a set of brushes, and a theme (no cocktails for them, just for Katie). The theme was "Power to the People." Our last visit with Papa the kids had so much fun jumping from the fountains and singing Power to the People, I thought it should be memorialized.

Hailey's

Karlie's

Kaitlin's

Hank's (he is into abstract art)

While the girls were at school on Friday, we took the boys for a train ride.

Early Saturday morning before it got too hot we went for a walk in the desert down at the end of our street. We can drive just a few houses and be in the middle of the dessert.

So weird. I keep thinking Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner are going to race by any moment.

Then we went to see Lion King 3D. For fun Kerrie brought hair paint and the kids got all dolled up.

Hank sporting the green Mohawk.

They are SO cool.

Party on dudes! It was so fun to see Lion King again. Max and I went to it opening night with a bunch of my family, so it was neat to repeat it but with our own cubs. It was a nostalgic moment for sure. How could it be 17 years already!?!? The kids loved it too.

After eating as much popcorn and licorice as they could, we headed home to swim and quench our thirst.

Kerrie had a powerful craving for cookie dough, so she whipped up her first batch of eggless cookie dough. It never became cookies...

RJ requested an Aunt KK cake. He is a major football fan so he wanted both the Denver Broncos and the CU ~~Barfalos~~ Buffalo's on his cake (it is a deep seeded undergraduate issue. Rams Rule!).

As usual Max is the artist and did an awesome job on the design.

RJ helped make the cake and I think he was surprised it actually turned into a football.

Happy Birthday Boys! It was a wonderful and special weekend. Thank you for coming to play with us at the Oasis and we hope all your wishes come true.

Where Were You?

2011-09-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

On this sad anniversary of 9/11 I hope each of us will find time to pause and remember where we were the day America changed. There are few times in our lives where we will vividly remember where we were, what we were doing and how we felt. I was working as a nursing student on an orthopedic floor. I went to ambulate a patient and she was sobbing. I went to her thinking she was in pain from her knee surgery. She grabbed my hand and said, "Oh honey, America has been attacked." She pointed to the TV and together we watched in horror as the twin towers burned. When I got to go home to Hailey who was just 3 months old, I held her and worried about the world she would grow up in. I will always remember the way our country united in those days following. The way God was once again our foundation. The way patriotism erupted. The way we vowed to not let this stop the greatest nation on earth from promising freedom to her citizens. The heroes that gave us hope.

It has been a very hard decade for our country. Bin Laden is finally dead but over six thousand of our soldiers have died in the war on terror. I can only hope that in the next decade we can heal our nation from all of the wounds that have followed 9/11. That we can end the war and bring our soldiers home. That we can heal our economy. That we can remain united, patriotic, and thankful to God without the threat of evil. That the land of the free will still be the greatest place on earth for my children. Today remember the countless people who lost their loved ones. Remember the hole in our hearts that will never be filled. Remember how great American's are. Remember how great God is. Remember we have faith, hope, and love, but the greatest is love.

99 Degree Fall

2011-09-10T09:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a turning point. Yesterday morning when I went to get the paper I could feel just the faintest hint of cool. Instead of the dry, hot, make your contacts shrivel up and die breeze blowing in my face, it was a fresh, slightly refreshing breeze. It was the first time since we moved here that it felt nice to be outside fully clothed and not in the swimming pool. The clouds blocked out the sun and we actually had a few moments of precious rain. It was so exciting that Hank came running and screaming as though he had just seen a steam locomotive roll through our backyard. He screamed, "MOM, it's RAINING!!" We all immediately ran outside to see if it was true! It was!! A rain dance of jubilee ensued!

Today's forecast is only 99 degrees! It will be the first time in 45 days that the thermometer has not been triple digits. It would have been 89 days if not for one beautiful cloudy day in July. Yesterday was SO cool that I ventured to jog outside with Hank. I actually enjoyed our run. This morning Hailey and Max went mountain biking. Really, 1 degree makes a difference?! The real difference is in the overnight lows. During the sweltering summer we had nights when the overnight low was in the 90s. Disgusting. Now we are dropping into the upper 70's. This morning it was cooler outside than in our house! JOY!

While I couldn't smell a crisp fall in the air, we all can feel a distinct change. Even if it is only a degree. It is a blessed degree that brings hopes of jeans, maybe even a long sleeve shirt, and the end of the continually running air conditioner. A 99 degree fall. Clearly we have heat exhaustion. No one in their right mind could put 99 degrees and fall in the same sentence. Such is your state of mind in the desert...

Kid of Character

2011-09-09T15:04:00.001-06:00

We are so proud of our Karlie girl! She was the August Kid of Character in her class. Karlie got to be on the morning announcements that are televised into each classroom, to eat lunch with all the 2nd grade teachers, and she got to have a special ice cream desert. Way to go Karlie!!! She was beaming all day. So was Mommy. :)

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-07T16:08:00.001-06:00

We were lucky to have company for the long Labor Day weekend! Pops, Nana and Anna helped us labor away at the Oasis.

We labored hard in the pool.

The kids and the boys labored hard on the trampoline. Max installed the hose with a mister to help keep them cool.

Max and Pops did labor hard up the mountain, but this was self inflicted labor. They chose to ride twice, so it must not have been too bad.

We went to the mall so Hank could ride the train. He even wore his conductor's outfit for the big outing. This was a very laborious time for the males involved. There was lots of shopping at Claire's and Justice that they had to endure. A true labor for any man even at the tender age of 3.

But mostly we labored away at eating. It was such a chore.

The best rack of ribs this side of the Mississippi. Yep, I think Max is ready for a Bobby Flay throw down!

That ganache was SO good I had to make it again. Immediately. This time garnished with raspberries and bananas dipped in the left over that I didn't eat while making it. I am already day dreaming about round III.

We had such a nice time laboring away. I only hope we didn't work our guest too hard and they will come back soon!

Thursday 13 ~ Things I Like About Living in Arizona

2011-09-01T11:19:00.000-06:00

One day when I was blue about our approaching move to Arizona my girlfriend reminded me to play the glad game. For those of you who have never played, for everything you can think of you don't like, you have to think of something you do like. So, I decided it was time to play a round of the glad game. :) Here are 13 things I do enjoy about living in Arizona.

1. The title and registration fees. We paid a quarter to half as much to license our vehicles here. It only cost 25 bucks for personalized plates for two years! I couldn't resist.

2. My car. While I have always loved my black bus, I worship her AC. It is the only place I can be as cold as I want. I try to see how long I can handle goosebumps. Sometimes I go for a drive just to feel the frigid AC. It is like free gold.

3. Max's job. It is truly amazing. He hasn't been this happy in years. His department is like a family. At a party they had to welcome us, one of his colleagues told me it is like being a part of the Mafia. He said, "we all have your back. If you need anything, just call!" I have had numerous wives call and check on me and give us things to do to beat the heat and where great spots for kids are. The kids have really latched on to Max's boss and his wife. They have been so supportive, it is such a blessing.

Since we live 5 minutes from the clinic, Max is seeing us two to three hours more a day! That averages to 600 hours more a year. Over Hank's remaining years at home that is 375 days! Over a year more of quality time. The kids have all got to go and have lunch dates with Daddy. Hank wore his scrubs on his day.

4. Having our own pool. Growing up in California we had a pool and I have so many fond memories. Kids and water just go hand in hand. It is like a party every weekend. We have started Friday Fun Night with Pizza by the Pool. They get to swim until bedtime.

5. I guess it is the cowgirl in me, but with all the sun and pool time, Max is wearing his cowboy hat a lot more. I use to only get to see it when he mowed the lawn, now I get to see it all weekend! Yee-Haw!

6. Trader Joe's! Colorado has yet to attract a Trader Joe's. This basil plant cost the same as one of those little tiny fresh basil at the super market - $2.99!!! Plus they have 2 buck Chuck and a 6 pack of beer for $2.99. Oh the amounts of basil and cheese yumminess we have been eating! And of course who could resist some 2 buck Chuck to go along?

7. Our fridge and freezer! I didn't even know they could be this big! Our fridge can hold 5 gallons of milk, juice, Coffee-mate and the entire weeks worth of groceries plus an 18 pack of beer. We were able to turn off our garage fridge and freezer because it all fits in these. They are nice and wide but shallow so you can see everything. A true joy.

8. Tan fat is better than white fat. Max and I have the best tans we have ever had in our lives. Its a good thing since the cheap beer and wine are keeping us plump. (We won't talk about Arizona being the skin cancer capital of the nation and second only to Australia in the world right now because we are playing the glad game.)

9. The kids' school start time. The girls don't start school until 8:45! That is a whole hour later than in Colorado. We have always been early risers so we get all our chores done in the morning, have lots of time for multiple breakfasts and don't have to have a rushed morning.

10. The bus drops the girls off at our driveway! They were the only ones getting off at the stop, so the driver just started bringing them right to the house!

11. The heat is good for one thing... Tropical flowers. I have always loved the tropical plants. I plan to fill our backyard with hibiscus, birds of paradise, and as many palm and citrus trees that will fit. This was our first addition. It bloomed shortly after we planted it.

12. Zonies. I have yet to meet a rude person. Maybe the sweltering heat just zaps all the meanness out of everyone. I always thought Colorado was a friendly place but I have found people to be even nicer here. It may be their wild west foundations. There are a lot of Christians and even the newspaper has a daily prayer! GASP. I like their God Lovin and Gun Tote'n persuasion.

13. The sunsets. Colorado has some pretty incredible sunsets, however Arizona gives them some stiff competition. What makes it all the more beautiful is that the temperature drops. Maybe some Pavlov's conditioning working there?

The Little Mermaids

2011-08-30T16:08:00.000-06:00

Our little fish have evolved into mermaids. Hailey is positive she is part mermaid. She can hold her breath for over a minute and swims so gracefully she could be one. Lately she has even been beating Max when they race.

The girls love playing mermaids and transformed their tights into "tails." Problem was that the tights soon tore. There was only one thing to do. Make tails!

We went to Jo Ann's and they each picked out their swim fabric. I traced them with their swim flippers on and cut out the tail. After sewing them together I attempted to make tops to match. Lets just say its a good things we didn't have any company over. Hailey tried valiantly to keep it on, but it just kept slipping so she soon had to switch to a real bathing suit top. Karlie was oblivious and just kept swimming. LOL I worked on the tails all week and they were SO excited to play with them that they slept in braids the night before so they could have "mermaid hair."

A rare glimpse of the elusive mermaids out of water. I was sure Peter Pan would fly down at any moment!

A fun project that they have used every time we swim!

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming...

2011-08-28T10:49:00.000-06:00

Finding Nemo is a family favorite with many classic quotes peppered in our lives. Dory's quote keeps playing in my head. :)

Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do?

Marlin: No I don't wanna know.

Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.

My little fish have sure learned to swim. This is one of the greatest parts of moving here. I can't believe my 3 year old swims!!!

Kaitlin Swims!

Hank Swims!

Just keep swimming, swimming... You know you are going to be singing it all day long. :)

Blue Baking

2011-08-26T11:28:00.001-06:00

I am officially homesick. The excitement of our adventure has worn off. The feeling that we are on some sort of extended vacation is gone. It's back to work, back to school and the weekly grind of homework and activities. I miss the daily distraction the kids provided before they went to school. It is much easier to be an ant at work than have time to think and miss home.

The heat is oppressive. This week alone we broke one record and tied two more. The paper reported that this is the hottest August ever recorded. I am longing for the crisp evenings that come in late August in Colorado. The smell of fall and the glorious turning of the leaves that is soon to follow. Not here. It is so hot the kids have to sit in the "cool room" for recess. We have had a week long "extreme heat warning." If you ask me, I think the whole summer would fit in that category. When we walk home from the bus stop it feels as though flames are licking your skin. People are not meant to live in the desert. It is very hostile.

Scorpions don't like the heat either. Once it gets too much above 105, they seek shelter. Unfortunately, they are seeking it in my home. We have tried pest control, attempting to seal all possible entrances and Max goes hunting at night for them. However, they remain. In the last three weeks they have single handedly made it so I am ready to pack up and move. There were two giant ones under the dog dish, two in my towels, one fell off my shirt hanging in the closet. Not to mention the numerous others just hanging out in the bathrooms. I praise God that no one has been stung. The experts say seeing 7 in a season is really bad. We have been having one or two daily. The scorpion lady feels they are living in our walls. Sweet dreams.

Since idle hands are the work of the devil, I have been baking to attempt to console myself. I love to bake. I love to make beautiful things that my family likes to eat. I get extra satisfaction out of baking things that taste delicious that are egg free so that Hank can enjoy them with us! The first was this Eggless Strawberry Cake. It uses buttermilk in place of eggs and it is wonderful. However, you can use an egg if you prefer. Perfectly paired with coffee or ice cream.

I bought a giant clam shell of blueberries at Costco that just begged to be baked with. I made Three Berry Eggless Muffins. It was a great way to use left over strawberries and raspberries. They are divine the next day!

Three Berry Eggless Muffins

2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp orange juice
1 cup fat free milk
1/3 cup oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh strawberries sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients.

In a large bowl combine the wet ingredients.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.

Gently fold in the berries.

I like to use cupcake papers. Fill either well greased muffin tins or papers 2/3 full.

Bake in the oven for 22 minutes.

Allow them to cool for 15-20 min on a wire rack.

They are best the next morning but the kids thought they were just fine fresh out of the oven. :)

My crown jewel was this Blueberry Chocolate Cake = sin! I wanted to use my blueberries but really wanted some chocolate comfort food.

Blueberry Chocolate Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp Hershey's Cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vinegar
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup blueberries
2 cups water
1 cup of blueberries for decorating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Put the blueberries and 2 cups of water in a blender or food processor and blend. Use a strainer to remove the pulp. Add your blueberry juice to a medium bowl and then add the remaining wet ingredients. Mix well.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9 inch springform pan.

Bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean at the center of cake. I pulled mine out a little too soon and the center collapsed a little. But it made a perfect spot for a pile of blueberries. :)

Allow cake to cool for at least 2 hours and then transfer to serving platter.

Then pour this Chocolate Ganache (aka heaven) over the cake. I used most of a bag of Ghiradelli Bittersweet Baking chips. Start in the center and move outward allowing the ganache to roll off the edges. I made an additional little mote around the base of the cake for the blueberries to swim in. If some is good, more is better!

Allow the ganache to set up for about 10 minutes then add the blueberries around the side and in the center.

The chocolate ganache is really so good, you must try it. Today! You will thank me later. If you have some left over, you can dip strawberries in it and put them in the fridge. Your kids will eat their fruits this way, I guarantee it! Or you can just stick you fingers in it and lick the bowl like I did. I was happy. Very happy. Scorpions eat your heart out!

Apple Blueberry Peach Pie

2011-08-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

This really should be named over rip fruit bowl pie, but that doesn't sound as appetizing. My eyes are often are bigger than my family's ability to eat fresh fruit fast enough. I just can't help it when I see fresh peaches and cheap blueberries. But by the end of the week some of it just hasn't made it out of the fruit bowl or fridge. I had some apples, berries and one peach about to go bad so I threw them in a pie and low and behold they got eaten right up! I adapted this recipe to fit what I needed to use and with my own crust. Turned out so well that it might become a part of the regular rotation! Got to get those 5 a day in somehow. :)

Apple Blueberry Peach Pie

Crust

1 cup flour

6 tablespoons of butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup of ice water

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Add pats of butter and mix with electric mixer until mixture resembles coarse sand. Slowly add ice cold water until dough balls up. Add lemon juice. Remove dough from mixer and hand kneed until uniform. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator until ready to roll out for pie.

Filling

cups sliced peeled apples (4 medium) I used red apples.

cups fresh blueberries

1 peach peeled and sliced

3/4

cup granulated sugar

1/4

cup flour

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon

tablespoon lemon juice

6 dollops of cream cheese

In a large bowl add fruit, sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice. Gently toss to combine.

Topping

cup all-purpose flour

1/2

cup packed brown sugar

1/4

teaspoon nutmeg

1/3

cup butter softened

In a small bowl mix topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly and set aside.

Place a sheet of foil under middle of oven rack to catch drippings.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll pie crust out on a floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie pan.

Place crust in pie pan with edges overhanging the rim.

Pour fruit filling into crust lined pie pan.

Place dollops of cream cheese evenly on top of filling.

Spoon crumb topping evenly over filling.

Place pie on middle rack and bake for 60 minutes or until pie begins to bubble.

After 20 minutes of baking cover pie loosely with foil to prevent the top from burning.

Cool and enjoy!

Hank's 1st Day of School

2011-08-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

Today Hank started preschool! He will go on Monday and Wednesdays from 9 - 2 at a church preschool nearby.

It was my first morning of doing everything times 4!

4 Lunches? Check.

4 Water bottles? Check.

4 Backpacks? Check.

4 sun screened kids?

Check.

Max met me at Hank's school. He knew I would need a hug after letting Hank go.

Hank kept asking, "Can I go now?" As soon as he got in his class, his teacher showed him his cubbie and he started playing with all the toys. He was thrilled. He didn't even hug us goodbye. He just waved and went back to playing.

In the car the tears I had been fighting were finally allowed to flow. Tears of joy and sadness. I am so happy for Hank. So happy he is healthy, happy and ready for school (so much better adjusted than his mother). I should be happy that he was not clingy or crying and wanting to stay with me. He is ready to fly. I am just not entirely ready.

You see, for the last decade I have been raising babies and kids. Someone has always needed me. Needed me for nearly every waking hour and in many cases even in the sleeping hour! For the first time in a very long time I am alone. I have ten hours a week now with just me, without anyone needing me. I know many moms would shout for joy. Sure I will be happy to run errands alone and can start making great meals. I will have time to do all those little projects I have been putting off and start volunteering. Heck, I might even be able to finish a few books. But I am done with yet another chapter in my life. I am now a mom to school-age kids. No longer am I a mom to babies or toddlers. The chapters are ending faster than I would like. While many wonderful chapters still await to be written, by far some of my best have been read.

20 Years!

2011-08-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

20 Years ago today Max asked me to be his girl. We were standing by the pool in my parent's backyard. He would soon ask me to our Freshman Homecoming, then Sophomore, then Junior, then Senior and both Proms. Here we are 20 years ago! (Yes, those are Z. Cavariccis and yes, that is a bleach blonde mullet!)

Tonight we were standing by our pool in our backyard as parents (and probably 20 pounds heavier). What an amazing journey we have had together. I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world back then and still do today.

I love you babe. Here is to 20 more happy and loving years together!