Santa & Her Reindeer

Sophie & Mom

North Pole Experience

 on the trolley heading to Santa's workshop

 knocking and listening at the door to the workshop

 working on their toys

 family portrait with Santa

 when we returned to the lodge, Mrs. Claus was waiting to read us stories

breakfast with Santa the next morning

Ella (8), Sophie (4), Charlie (6)

Santa (643 ~ that's what he told Ella)

North Pole Experience

Greer, AZ

Christmas 2011

snowmen

 the family

posing with the snowman built by Charles & Sophie

 Ella & her snowman

Charlie's is next to her...I think photos of Charlie with his man must be on the iPod

Ella & Charlie made their snowmen all by themselves!

Charles asked me to give the snowman a kiss

and so I did

 and then this happened!

yikes!

I felt so bad for Sophie...she worked so hard...Charles fixed him up mighty quick!

near Greer, AZ

loads of sledding and snow fun 

Xmas 2011

Halloween!

 Charles (monk), Ann (monarch butterfly), Sophie (Cinderella),
Charlie (Indiana Jones), Ella (wizard)

 Cinderella

 Mrs. Watson's Preschool Class

 Indiana Jones

Wizard Ella

first grade luau

Last week, our family 

joined all the first grade classes

 for the annual end of year luau. 

lining up for food...my youngest at the beginning...my eldest at the end

priorities...hmmm...

Charles has become the neighborhood grill master

no idea what this pose is about

I can't remember if we had to run to the potty shortly after?

fun in the sun

what a beautiful park we have!

and the weather

was amazing!

I realize after creating this

that Charlie is not in any of the photos. 

He was there. On the move. Having fun with his buddies.

And he snapped the last three pictures in this post!

Road Trip ~ Avos

We packed the van up again and headed up north to Ft. Collins to my old college digs. First thing, we had lunch at a favorite old haunt, Avogadro's Number. Tasted fantastic!

We tried SO hard to get the timer picture thing to work out, never got a great one. Not sure why Charlie is behind the tree?!?

Did you know...that Avogadro's number, also known as Avogadro's constant, is defined as the quantity of atoms in precisely 12 grams of 12C.

Who knew that? I didn't. Never. Not even after four years of eating their scrumptious sandwiches!

Road Trip ~ Arches National Park

Last month (July), our family embarked on a summer road trip.

Leaving Phoenix we headed north through Utah to ultimately get to Denver, Colorado

(and some cooler weather).

Arches was our first stop. So beautiful. Yet, still quite hot.

Moab, Utah

July 2009

every seven years

Ella and I get to share our day.

Happy 6th Birthday Ella!

You are the best Mother's Day celebration ever!

Happy Valentine's Day!

With Love,
the three little birds

heaven

Last week, while visiting the arctic (a.k.a. the Quad Cities) we spent a morning at the John Deere Pavilion.

"Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa!"