Fall in Arizona...okay, only in my house

It's September and still feels like July, I'm missing the crispness of fall and the crunch of the leaves and the smell of woodsmoke, so I brought fall inside and around me...ahhh! Kirk and I drove up to Durango, Colorado this past weekend for his work, and I saw FALL, it was so beautiful, I'll be posting those pictures next. If you're wondering what that notebook is, that's where my day care parents have to sign their kids in and out...state regulations. Hope everyone is having a wonderful beginning of fall. Post and show how you celebrate and decorate for fall, Jen started it...thanks for the inspiration to post fall inside. Love to everyone, Debbie

Slide Rock in Sedona

We had a fun Labor Day in Sedona where the temperature was about 80 degree verses 110 degrees in Phoenix, it was so refreshing not to mention beautiful. We attempted to go to Slide Rock when Ashley graduated from high school right before she left for Alaska and eventually Oregon...but we were rained out. This time we had gorgeous weather. Here are all the kids, they couldn't wait to get in, man was it slick, people were dropping like flies, I said there was no way I was going in and killing myself. Kirk, Jamie and I sat and watched and helped herd kids, and play spotter...there were these areas of flattish rocks, and then a mini rapid, the kids can all swim except the three that are two and under. Those 3 did not want to be held or restrained in any way...they wanted in!!!
Kirk and Regen...who wanted in the water.
"Watch me grandma"...we temporarily lost him, he went on his own up a few hundred feet to a higher slide spot and after a scary 10 minutes we found him.
" Look, the water is red!" Cute little Cameron.
Ashley and Regen.... ready, set, I want in! On April's camera I got some cute shots of Regen, she had a blast sliding on one very shallow rock on her hands and knees. She squealed with joy, it was really cute.
This shot gives a better idea of what it looks like, some spots are real shallow, and some are over your head, I watched people just disappear and then reappear, Kris did...he was walking in with Cameron, and sploosh, down he went, he held Cameron up and pushed him onto a flat rock. Crazy. Here is Alanna, Kylee in the foreground and Ashlynn behind Alanna.
Tyler
Bathing beauties
Finally, a shot of Tristen...he doesn't stand still!

Ashley and Regen taking a break...the many rocks made great chairs.

April and Devon...neat idea with the life vest...he felt like he was on his own, but mom had him safe and sound. If you look at all the people, they are stepping ever so carefully. Tennis shoes or water shoes is a must for next time. This is good shot too, you can see how it goes down to one of the mini rapids and then you slide into a pool and you can just keep going aways down the river. We want to go again, that was fun!

Alanna starts 8th grade and other news

As I was taking this picture of Alanna, I was noticing the initials on the tree, I said "that is interesting, those are the same initials of your name and Jennifer's name, wierd huh?" She said, yeah, we carved them! I said "What"?! (Look in the middle to the far left and you will see A. J. + J. W.) She said they did that shortly after we moved here in 2002. We've lived here for seven years and I had no idea, actually, the trees were just trimmed and I can really see them now.

Alanna's just started her third week of school and has alot of homework and projects already. She is trying out for choir this year. She has her best friend Hannah in two of her classes and lunch so she is happy. She is still in the same Elementary School, it is a K-8, next year she will go across the street to Westview High School, if we still live in this same house and neighborhood, depends on the housing market.

Kris left for Seattle this morning to pick up Kaleb and Kylee who are flying in from Alaska around noon...all by themselves!! It will be good to see them this weekend, we have missed them. They are about two weeks late starting school.

Devon just had tubes put in his ears this morning, the procedure went quickly and without a hitch, he's groggy from the anesthesia and grouchy, they're on there way home now. Hopefully this will be the end of his ear infections. He's had about 10 in the last 15 months, with two of those episodes turning into ruptured ear drums.

I start school this Saturday with my Humanities Class, Art-Renaissance through Modern, an on-line Children's Lit class, and a Tues. and Thurs. night Biology and Lab class. I will try to be consistent with posting on the Blog, hopefully I won't be bogged down with too much homework, last semester was horrible. That's all the news for now.

Alanna's 13th birthday party

Yes, that's a pinata...after Regens party, Alanna said, "I want one for my birthday too!"


Aubrey, our own in- house cake decorator, asked Alanna what type of cake she wanted, and here it is. There is a layer of oreo cookie ice cream, it was delicious.

The girls spent the night and played rock band, sing star and guitar hero all night. We went to the mall the next day and they played around in Sephora which is a make up store trying on different types of make up. It was crazy and fun and I wish I had taken more pictures.

Alanna's 13th birthday

Alanna turned 13 on August 6th, we had banana split cake and presents.
She is holding a Zune, it's not quite an Ipod but looks just like one and is alot less, it holds around 1500 songs, videos and movies. She is in shock.
Typical 13 year old look, isn't it? I believe the look was for her David in-law...they have an ongoing sparring with words and teasing, but they love each other.
The card Aubrey and David gave her made her laugh...they gave her a larger fish tank for her ever growing goldfish, Billy Bob. This is the only goldfish that survived Aubrey and David's wedding.

After seeing Jens blog and her hermit crabs, Alanna thought it would be fun to have one, so April went and bought her one and all the fun stuff that goes with it, we need to buy a bigger tank, it doesn't have much room. It's a baby and they say the more you handle it, the less likely it will be to pinch. It sleeps and hides all day, are they nocturnal? I should look that up.

Regens Birthday Party

Regen had her party in Ashleys in -laws backyard (Grahams Dad and step mom, Barb). They have a large covered patio and a huge back yard which was set up with an enormous homemade slip and slide and an old fashioned round metal tub which they filled with water for the kids to swim in. Aubrey made Regen a princess castle cake...it was delicious. She had a lot of compliments on it.
Here is the pinata, do you notice the strings, now you pull instead of hitting with a stick, though I suppose you still can if you want too. Some of her gifts.
Aubrey and David gave her this walker/rider toy, she is very close to walking on her own, she is taking up to 5 steps on her own.
She loves Capri Suns and it was a hottttt and muggyyyyy day!!!!!Devon likes them too.We are all singing to her, she loved the candles. That's an ice cream cone upside down rolled in green sprinkles.

Mmmmm! Tasty.

That's Regen with one of the little kids we invited, her name is JayLynn, not sure on the spelling, she is 16 months. Here's Devon and Regen pulling on the strings and .......Crash! Out comes all the yummy candy, that's what Regen thought.Uh oh, she was shoving wrapped pieces in her mouth as fast as she could.She loved this toy, it's a singing cookie jar that you put shapes into and it sings songs, ABC's and 123's.

Graham bought this cloud night gown for Regen and the V-Tech computer below. Boy does she like to push buttons, Devon liked it too.She was so cute with this doll, when she opened it she looked at it, hugged it, kissed it and then...hugged her mom, we have it on Ashley cam corder, it was the most precious thing you have ever seen.
This enormous box was from her parents.....what is it?Yah, my very own kitchen center, it grows with me! Here are some clips of people slip and sliding. For some reason I could only get one. I'll post more later if I can make it work.