a rocket birthday

Charlie requested a rocket party to celebrate his four years!

Charlie had built water rockets at the Phoenix Science Center with Ella and Charles (Rocket Dad). For his big four birthday we brought water rocketry to our local park!

The kids designed their rockets out of soda bottles, cardboard fins and stickers!

Rocket Dad added rocket fuel (water).

Time to hook up to our special rocket launch pad, complete with air compressor (in the truck bed).

3-2-1

Blast off!

The rocket takes flight (upper left hand corner of picture).

A Rockin' Rocket Cake!!

(Charlie & cousin Gwen)

I love the birthday singers in this photo!

Happy 4th Birthday Charlie!!

swim club

Ella has joined swim club, improving her strokes and endurance.

It's one of her very favorite things to do.

Did I mention she LOVES it!

And she has the most perfect breaststroke kick I've ever seen.

While she is slaving away...

Typically, the little sister is swimming around the hand rail at the steps in her clothes, very happily of course. I finally put her in her suit for the last lesson which enabled WAY to much swimming for her. Not too sure what to do with her next time, she finds her way in one way or the other.

The little brother keeps himself entertained in various ways.

This week with his new favorite engine, Duncan, complete in Iowa Hawkeye colors!

trains trains and more trains

Charlie has been busy.

Building trains.

All week.

An unfortunate incident required immediate removal of the bedskirt, which opened up more space for tracks!

His fourth birthday is just around the corner and he still loves trains!

love the dollar store

every child I know loves band-aids

for one dollar, one can buy a 40 count box with 5 different colors

and most importantly, they come individually wrapped

this can keep a two year old busy for hours

my next trip, I'm stockin' up

Sophie Mae (2 years)

Road Trip ~ the rest

I need to get these done

so here goes

the best of the best

photo highlights of (the rest of) our July road trip

we left off in Ft. Collins at Avogadro's Number...

We visited Ft. Collins specifically to get together with some old friends from my CSU days. Kylie, Bree, and I arranged to have our families camp together at a local KOA campground. We had a blast!

(Pictured: Charlie, Danika & Tuli Smith, Bree with Wyatt, & Owen Hobgood, Ella & Sophie)

Back in Highlands Ranch, we (finally) met Audrey's boyfriend, Matt. Sophie became very fond of him...as are we all!

Playing with Aunt Audrey

Watching TV with Papa Jeff

We braved a VERY hot day (even for AZ standards) at the Littleton Historical Museum with Ky and her girls.

The highlight was watching the blacksmith create a "Private Drive" sign!

A refreshing day spent playing at Monument Lake with the Hobgood & Smith families. Charlie could have cast all day long!

Took the kids on a scenic drive of the old neighborhood. First stop, the Manor House where Charles and I were married (9 years ago this month!).

The view of the neighborhood from the Manor House, you can see Lockheed Martin far in the distance, which was spitting distance from our house.

The old house. Still looks great. This is where we brought Ella home when she was born.

Heading back home to Arizona, we took the scenic route.

Our first stop was the Royal Gorge Bridge (the world's highest suspension bridge, built in 1929). Charles and the kids walked across the bridge and back.

I walked to the Arizona flag and back; the flags are placed in alphabetical order, so you can see how far I got!

Next day, we spent at the Colorado Gator farm.

Where we watched a lot of this...

and this.

But our kids LOVED this.

I think he would make the perfect pet for our backyard. Low maintenance. Quiet. Lives forever.

A day at Mesa Verde National Park, where we spent the day viewing Ancestral Pueblo Cliff dwellings built from about 600 to 1200 AD.

At the Spruce Tree House dwelling we were all able to walk around, and Charles took the kids into the basement!

Our last night on the road we spent at a KOA campground in Cortez, CO. Enjoying the campfire!

Cleaning the car for the LONG drive home.

Hundreds of pictures (and miles) later, we were home.

Home Sweet Home!

going for a ride

Sophie (and Charlie) went for a ride into Phoenix with Mo & Grandad, to visit with their cousins. I think she looks ready for kindergarten myself. Kylie made her #2 shirt, love it!

the smallest girl

When Ella was four, we started swimming lessons at the City of Goodyear swimming pool. Four nights a week we would arrive for instruction (just a little bit early) so that we could watch the divers do tricks off the diving board. There was a very small girl that caught our attention, she looked too small to be diving. We were all mesmerized. Ella loved it and planned to do it herself someday. If that little girl could do it, so could she! Last year, when Ella was five, we continued to watch in awe, and Ella's aspirations were just as strong.

This fall Ella joined the divers and became the smallest girl in the group! And she did it!!

It was tough, but very rewarding!

We are so proud of you Ella! Tiny but Mighty! Woohoo!