Movie Day!

Well, today I got up (not near as early as I usually do with Melissa!) to go do some shopping. We got several things for the kids and something for Danny as well as some cute decorations.

This afternoon we took the kids to see their first movie at the theater...Madagascar 2!

It went perfectly for the first 45 mins or so, we had food and entertainment. But we ran out of popcorn and Caitlin was MAAAD! So I took her out to walk a bit and we decided to get a box of Raisinets (which are my new favorite treat!). We went back in and got her all settled and then Evan decided it wasn't good enough to have a handful of Raisinets, he needed the WHOLE box (he'd already had one mostly to himself and shared our popcorn)! When Danny told him he couldn't have the whole box he just fell apart and they had to leave.

After a few minutes, Caitie threw her drink on the floor and the guys had still not returned so we just threw in the towel and left (minus a sippy cup and a binkie - I didn't have enough hands to carry all of that plus my drink and Caitlin (who didn't want to be carried!).

It was fun, but we learned a valuable lesson...don't take the kids to the theater in the afternoon when they haven't had a nap!

This evening we watched Polar Express and had hot chocolate and tomorrow we are going to put up the Christmas Tree!

Yeah :)

Our First Family Hike

Today, we bit the bullet and took the kids hiking. I'd really been avoiding it because I thought it was going to be a disaster but Danny found our nice carrier backpack (actually meant for hiking) that we've basically NEVER used and we decided to venture out to Usery Mountain.

We left around 8:30 this morning and were on the trail by 9:20 (you know everything takes twice as long when you have kids :)

Tracy and a friend of hers decided to take the hike, too, so we have lots of great photos of all 4 of us!

We took the trail just halfway up, to Wind Cave. Evan hiked all by himself only needing a hand a couple of times. He actually stopped several times to "help" Mom and Aunt Tracy.

Everyone we passed mentioned what a big boy he was and how good he was doing.

We climbed 1.5 miles up, to 2,800 ft elevation (only an 800 foot gain)... it's very pretty up there.

At the trailhead...

On top of the world!

Climbing, climbing, climbing...

At Wind Cave...

Danny and Caitie coming down

Caitlin seemed to really enjoy the hike. Our typically noisy girl didn't make a peep all the way up and fell asleep on the way down!

We toyed with trying for the summit but it's a good thing we decided to let well enough alone because Evan was VERY tired and fell apart on the way back down. He's a TROOPER! We came across the park ranger and when he heard Evan climbed all the way to the cave he gave him a Jr. Park Ranger badge!

Climbing and Cruising

Video of Evan and Caitie at the park on Monday. You can hear all of the kids in the background! We have been going to this park since we got to town and now that the weather is cooler there are dozens of kids here on any given day!

Vulture City Ghost Town

We spent most of Saturday in one of the best preserved ghost towns in the state. Not only do they have several buildings but they also have several items in the buildings. Such as furniture, stoves, pots and pans, tools, machinery and so on. It is a mining town that was discovered by a man named Henry Wickenburg in 1863. It has been unoccupied since WWII. You have to sign a release before walking around as they let you go anywhere you want and touch anything you want and most of the buildings could collapse the rest of the way any second of any day.

Not only did we go into this building (Assay Office and Shotgun shack built in 1884) but we even went upstairs. They say that there is around $600,000 worth of gold in the walls as they built it with rock from the mine.

This is where the guys with shotguns hung out.

Make my feet hurt just looking at them. But then again they are a hundred years old.

This was the machine shop. I'm standing on a gigantic diesel engine that was built in Germany, sent here and assembled where it sits in 1904.

Time for a quick stop on the potty. Sitting on 100+ year old poo.

Apartment house for the miners and yes we walked through this one to.

Evan found a car he likes.

Folgers in a glass jar.

Kitchen where the miners ate.

Ghost Towns Of Phoenix

Tomorrow we are heading to one of the most well preserved ghost towns in this area: Vulture, AZ.

It is a ghost town in the real sense of the word, not commercialized, only the owners/caretakers live there and things were just left lying around...pretty cool!

It started as a gold-mining town in the 1880's

We'll take LOTS of pictures and post them Sunday sometime.

All the other stuff!

Well, we've been going to two bible studies for the past month and really love it. There are kids Evan's age at both and Caitlin gets a day with her 'friends' too.

The first bible study is for Mom's only, two wonderfully nice women take care of the kids while we get an hour and a half to chat and discuss our study for the week. The next session is MONEY...

The second bible study is just for the kids. It's at one of the Pastor's homes (his wife coordinates and leads it). We sing and tell them bible stories and they get to play and have a snack!

I am in the midst of the new member class at Christ's Greenfield Lutheran in Gilbert. We really like this church and I was happy to find such an easy fit without so much work! It helps of course that we just moved from one LCMS church to another but we really 'fit' here! I'm getting involved in several of the groups and events coming up over the next few months and Evan started Sunday School. They start taking them at 3 and I was sure he'd be 5 before he'd go. Despite the tears at first, he seemed to enjoy it though. We'll cross our fingers for this week!

Evan is having fun with preschool at home! We have been doing some projects that I hope to have posted over at Adventures In Preschooling later this week. He's learned a LOT about pumpkins and apples this month.

We are planning to go camping over Halloween weekend! Probably in cabins up in Williams - just west of Flagstaff. Yes, it will be downright COLD! We'll keep you updated on that crazy plan.

We are also planning our trip back to KC for the week after Thanksgiving and we'll be there for about 3 weeks.

Yeah!!!

Fall Is Here...Or, the Desert Version It!

It's pretty amazing to be here this time of year...we don't have the lovely changing leaves and sometimes enjoyable rainy gloomy weather (Melissa and I like it anyway). We aren't wearing sweaters or jackets, or even long sleeved shirts (heck, I still don't have any jeans in my wardrobe) but it is FALL! And, best of all...we are heading for about 6-7 months of beautiful weather!

The weather has undergone a dramatic shift from HOT, like 100+ every day just two weeks ago, to cool. And I realize that most of you will think 'cool' must mean I'm crazy because 'cool' here is like upper 80's-lower 90's. Just come visit us and you'll see what I mean. It's NOT at all hot. It feels warm and happy late in the day and at night it's been in the 60's. We open the windows most of the day and turn the air on only late in the afternoon while the kids are napping and I'm getting dinner ready.

It's also getting dark here by 6:30...that's the weird absence of DST! Which, I realized, will be coming your way soon and we'll only be 1 HOUR difference. That will have a big impact on my ability to communicate with you over the phone! For some reason the two hour difference always meant someone was eating or sleeping when I was free to talk!

So, because the weather was cooler over the weekend (the highs were only 82 and 86 and we're in for the nice cool weather again this weekend!) we decided to do our pumpkin picking early.

There's a great HUGE farm nearby (Schnepf Farms) in Queen Creek and we spent Saturday evening there. I've posted some photos below...

Our big girl!

Amazing sunset...

Cute kids all around!

Our train ride! This photo makes it look like we're moving at the speed of light!

    

Evan's FIRST roller coaster ride...and he LOVED it!

  

I'm hoping to put ALL the photos from the night at the farm on the slideshow at the top of the blog! Assuming the computer will cooperate with me!

Ice Cream for Dinner

I just couldn't help myself one night a couple of weeks ago...

We went to a local ice cream shop (where they actually make their own ice cream from local milk!) Udderly Delights and had ice cream for dinner!

Of course, we then had to have dinner for a snack but it was fun regardless.

See -- everybody looks happy!

...here's what you missed

Our computer was broken you know...All the while we were just saving up all these great pictures.

Okay, take a deep breath and dive in!

Two weeks of our life in 5 minutes or less :)

Geocaching at the Riparian Preserve

Fountain Hills - Evan's birthday was spent here riding bikes, having a picnic and playing in the spraygrounds!

The pizza place...Buono's

Birthday presents from Grandma, Papa, Nicki and Tyler! He LOVES the books and the puzzle!

 

Proof that we ride our bikes even when it's 100 degrees! This was a 3.5 mile one-way trip from our house to the coolest park on the planet! Tumbleweed

Boys being...well, boys!

Another trip to the Riparian Preserve (read the sign Evan is standing by)

Feeding Getting bit by ducks...

Notice Evan's attire...this is very typical! He's either a "fixer guy" or a "fireman guy", depends on the day.

A gift from Aunt Connie. I actually think Evan wears them more than Caitlin!

So, remember that sweet, quiet little thing that used to be our daughter? She's still sweet but replace quiet with VERY loud, goofy and a definite attitude sense of who she is and what she wants and you've got the new and improved version of our little Caitie-bug!

Uh...where's the audio???

And...we're done!                      

Superstition Mountains, The Lost Dutchman Mine, Tortilla Flats and a few Geocaches...

We had a busy day today. I picked up this week's veggie and fruit order from a local food coop (a great way to get quality, organic produce for about half the cost of buying it at the store!) and then we packed up the kids with lunch and headed to the Superstition Mountains.

Danny and I made this same trip when we were here visiting Tracy 4 years ago. Oddly enough it was Sept 22nd of 2004! Just a few days earlier than this time...and of course two kids lighter!

Here is a picture of us then...Sept 22, 2004 

And of Superstition...the same morning

And now...

You'll notice we're not actually in the picture this time! That's what happens when you have kids - it's all or none - either one of us, with child(ren), or just some scenery as we are chasing one of them down!

Our first stop was actually the Goldfield Mine Ghost Town. When were here in 2004 this place was literally a Ghost Town. Today there were quite a few people around.

The Ghost Town is a replica on the site of a mining town that went bust several times in the late 1800's and early 1900's. (Read more)

We explored a bit and took a train ride, which Evan LOVED!

 

The photo above is actually from the train on the back side of the ghost town.

Next we headed to Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flats

Again, here are the photos from 2004

Canyon Lake (above)

Tortilla Flats Restaurant. I'm incriminating myself here but - along with 50k+ other people so...

When you visit the restaurant at Tortilla Flats you have to add a dollar bill to the wall. You can deface it any way you choose and they post them up at the end of each day. We tried to find ours today but it's impossible! We should have taken a photo of the inside.

Today's visit to Canyon Lake

 

Then we headed to find some geocaches (with not much luck). Evan had our only actual find of the day despite a lot of effort!

Danny went out for several but only ended up with cactus needles in his arm and leg! He discovered the legendary "jumping cactus" and now knows why they call it that!

Here I am trying to find one...we discovered later that it's actually in a crack in the rock - you have to crawl down inside the crack and I guess we weren't feeling that adventurous!

While I was climbing around on these rocks a Merchant Marine stopped to ask for a jump for his Harley...we got to be good Samaritans and he was VERY happy to not be leaving his bike on the side of the road.

There were lots of beautiful views along the way. Here just a few...

Danny and the kids at Tortilla Flats in front of the Lost Dutchman Mine (it's not really the mine!)

Danny and Caitlin eating at the restaurant

These are Ocotillos...we live just off Ocotillo Rd. This whole mountain was covered with them

  

We had a great time!

On the way home poor Caitlin was sick to her stomach...I think it was all the windy roads - a little bit carsick!

So, we spent the evening cleaning up the carseats!