Science Center

The Science Center was offering admission for free, so since I have wanted to take the girls there forever, but haven't wanted to pay the price of admission...I pulled them out of school early and went for the afternoon. They had a blast, esp in the physics area where they got to test out a bed of nails and
centripetal force.

There is a bike that is suspended on a wire, and Hannah was so excited to do it. Abigail sat on it and then turned white and got off, she definately takes after her mom and gets vertigo very easily!!

Abigail trying it out...nope!! :)

This is a video of these little magnetic filings that "danced" to music...it was pretty cool!

Halloween

Here are some Halloween photos. 
Hannah carved her own pumpkin this year, I was seriously worried she would cut her fingers, but of course she was fine!   We first went trick-or treating with a couple of their friends in their part of the neighborhood.  There was a home where they had turned their back yard and garage into a haunted house, Hannah loved it, Abigail wouldn't go in! :) 
Then we came back to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood....needless to say we ended up with a bunch of candy!

Abigail's pumpkin

Hannah's pumpkin

Abigail and her friend Taylor :)

I got their costumes from a children's theater that sells their stuff every year or two.  Hannah is a monkey from Jungle Book, and Abigail's dress is from the Wizard of Oz and she put some funkey fabric over the top of it to be a Zombie Princess

Abigail did most of her face make-up herself...including the lovely blody scars.

Abigail's 10th Birthday

Abigail's 10th birthday was Oct 24th :) Double Digits!!  Happy Birthday !!!

She wanted a monkey/jungle themed party this year, which mind you is hard to find just before Halloween! But I did my best. She had a friend party first and then we had a family party.

Abigail: I love you so much sweetheart!! You are growing into such a beautiful and amazing young lady :)

Yes, I made the cake, I think it turned out pretty cute, and Abigail loved it so that is all that really matters!!

Making door hangers

They were working on their door hangers, when the Macarena came on, and spontaneous dancing broke out... lol!!

Bobbing for bananas! yes...gross :)

Chocolate dipped spoons...these looked like a great idea on paper...they were actually a pain!

pin the tail on the monkey...Abigail drew the monkey :)

very much the wrong wall....for the monkey...

Popcorn and a movie

The next day we had our family party.  She wanted to go to Outback for dinner, she loves the mac and cheese :)  We got her a clothing designer kit, complete with a little model and fabric that she can drape.  I have promised her I will teach her to use the sewing machine :)  She is so excited, and I am so nervous!!

Trip to Boston

We had such a great trip to Boston in October! Daniel and Jenny were so gracious to let us stay in their apartment...it was cozy and the price was right! :)

We got to see so many things, of course we did the Freedom Trail, I was moved to see the places where events I had learned about in US history took place.

We got to see the replica of the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, Harvard and Cape Cod.

Jenny and Daniel also took us to the North Shore where we visited Gloucester, Rockport and other super cute towns. We visited Salem too...it had one of the most perfectly quaint downtowns I have ever seen.

We of course tried fried clams...I did not like them :( but David did! :)
We went to an apple orchard and went apple picking and had apple cider donuts..yummm....
I have so many awesome pictures, but it is such a pain to load them one at a time (well 5 at a time) into blogger...(if anyone knows a better way I would love to hear it!!) so I am posting the link in shutterfly to all of them. http://bostoninthefall.shutterfly.com/

Be warned there are alot!! It is really for me to have back up photos, so all my kids photos are in there too!! Which means there are lots of pix of houses taken out car windows, lots of squirrels and lots of waves! ;)

We also got the chance to go to Chappaqua NY for the day to visit my Grandma for her 90th birthday. The timing was really perfect as she was up from Florida. I was thankful to see her again, and my aunt, uncle and cousin.

Gas lanterns in Beacon Hill


The Mayflower II....how did these people do it???







The Salem Witch House

Downtown Salem

yeah!! Fall Leaves!!

One of the many beautiful allys in Boston

The Freedon Trail

Beacon Hill

Inside the church where the famous laterns were hung (1if by land 2 if by sea)

The girls are standing in front of the building below...

One of the tour guides...that we didn't use, just used him for a pix

apple picking

our lovely hosts and tour guides!

Gloucester

Taking Daniel and Jenny to the airport for their trip back to WA

Grandma Ethel and her best friend Bert...they have been best friends since they were 18

My grandma Ethel :)

my cousin Lacey and my uncle Bruce

one of many card games my girls begged Jenny to play!

Cape Cod

" out of the movies" perfect beaches

The Nauset Light House

The sunRISE as we waited to board our plane heading home

Mini Golf

A couple months back we took the girls mini-golfing one evening. Arizona has quite a few cool mini-golf courses...probably because they get used all year round. There are lots of interesting holes, and even water features...we lost a ball in one of them! Since it was Sept and still too hot in the daytime, we went at night.

Abigail started off being quite grouchy because she doesn't really know how to play, but she doesn't want anyone to teach her (this has been her since birth :)....but then she was losing, which needless to say, she is not the best loser in the world either. Anyway, she finally caved in and let us show her how to line up the putter with the ball and the hole, and started doing much better.

In a few holes she had changed her attitude and was having fun. I was really proud of her, because we have been working on this life skill!!! Yes, learning how to be taught something and keeping a good attitude are life skills for sure, and I think some people never learn them.

A funny memory of Abigail: when she was about 5 she took a kids hip-hop dance camp and was awarded the best "attitude" face! She is all personality!!

Anyway, here are some photos...



This hole had a post that you swung back and forth and would knock out the ball if it hit it.

David and Crystal Wedding website

So I created a site in shutterfly where anyone can go view pictures of David and Crystal's wedding. I am finally getting close to being done....I just have the reception to go! So anyway, instead of posting a bunch of pictures, here is the site: http://davidcrystalwedding.shutterfly.com

The Parthenon

I almost forgot....well,....actually I did forget....we visited The Parthenon while in Tennessee. Yes, for whatever reason they have a life size replica of the Parthenon (as in Greece) in Nashville Tennessee....we had to check it out!!

It was actually pretty cool, I was surprised at how huge it was. Anyway, here are some pictures .

A very ugly Athena....


( I am now adding more pictures...I couldn't find them because they were hiding inside my "wedding reception" folder...yeah, don't ask...although this would be kind of a cool place for a reception!

Ok....now for more posing children....

So now I guess I don't have to go to Greece.........haha

Our House Finally Closed!!

I almost forgot to mention...it has been so long in coming....but our house that we put up for sale last Sept finally sold. The people that ended up buying it have hung in there since March...the short-sale process was soooo long!! But it closed this Monday and now we are no longer the proud owners of any house! We are so thankful to just have it done and behind us. We went back to drop off the keys and garage doors openers, and I had very mixed feelings, in one sense relief and in another sadness. Sadness because we had picked everything for that house just how we wanted it, and the plan was to live in it for a long time, and sadness because we threw away so much money...well, that feeling actually is more like disgust! Many lessons were learned and for that, we are very thankful!!

Ahhhh..a four day weekend...

So we have a four day weekend (the normal 3 day, plus my kids have Friday off) , I have no idea what we are doing, but my kids are both having sleepovers...one here and one at a friend's house. This is what is seems the weekends are about now that they are getting older! Maybe we will do really fun stuff like spray for bugs and mow the lawn.



Both girls are now back in soccer. Abigail has had practice for a few weeks (David is her coach as usual), and Hannah just started. Hannah is also starting individual swim lessons next week. I am not sure how all the sports will fit in with junior high homework...but isn't that what junior high and high school are about??: school, homework, sports, dinner, homework, sleep...wake-up....start the cycle over...fun stuff...

On the way home form Nashville...

So when the girls and I got off on our layover in the Minneapolis airport, we discovered that there was a tram. Given that we had a substantial layover we could not pass up the opportunity to ride it back and forth. I personally very much enjoy airport trams, they are so nostalgic for me!! We flew out of SeaTac when I was very young and that airport has the underground tram (riding this meant vacation and the excitement of flying!!). I used to be able to sit on the platform at the end so as to have the best view of the tunnel. I think I am just a little too big for that now, but my girls still enjoy it!!




Speaking of small delights...during dinner at the airport, Abigail found this pepper packet that was three stuck together and was so excited that she told me I had to take a picture!! She wanted to show her dad her treasure :)