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.
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!!!
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!
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!
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!
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!
