Closer to Christmas

One week she is swimming at Rachel's, the next week we have to have coats.

Getting our Christmas tree, wasn't much selection left but 'our tree guy' hooked us up with a half priced tree.

 We went to Celebration of Lights.

Autumn playing in the 'snow' at West Gate.Dang kid won't hold still for a picture, she runs away!

Great December day and a recital.

It's great living in Phoenix when you can have a beautiful December day to enjoy the warm weather and the zoo.Autumn had fun milking the cow. She told me that one kid kept trying to take her 'teet'.

She loves to play under the tree house, I was about the only mother that let her play in the mud and water.It would be worth it to get a membership just so she can play here. She also met a friend and even asked the girls if she could come back to the zoo and play again.

Autumn had her Christmas dance recital. 16 performances before hers and 21/2 hour wait made some hungry and tired toddlers. I don't think she heard the music because she didn't dance and they were on stage less than a minute. But she had fun playing with her fellow dancers.

Toys for Tots

The last two years for Thanksgiving weekend Rachel has decorated the Toys for Tots box at QT. Each store   decorates this size box and then it is voted on by the district manager, the winner gets $100.00. It has been fun watching and helping her and we would like to make it a tradition. Last year she won and then used some of the money to buy toys for the box. She didn't win this year but her boxes were cute and we had fun doing it.

 An Elf trying to carry a large present.

Last years winner.

Rachel helped Kyle with his stores box, a snowball fort with the QT characters from the Booger Juice bottle

More pictures

Here are some pictures of us having fun at Autumn's party.

 My sister Tracy and niece Courtney.

 Me, Karen and Jonny.

 Rachel.

 Jack and Kyle jumped too.

Autumn's 4th Birthday

I can't believe I let Autumn's Birthday come and go without a Happy Birthday post and post of the pictures. I made her cake and of course I had a hard time finding the figurine but now when I go into stores I see something all the time.

Last year she wouldn't let us have a party and this year she couldn't wait to have one. She had a Rapunzel (Tangled) party. But the Princess bounce house wasn't available so we had a Dora which was just as fun, even the grown ups joined in. I will have to post pics later, our computer stopped reading the drive.

Halloween 2012

At the pumpkin patch and corn maze, we have gone the past 3years.

This was a fun bounce house.

Karen as Sally from a Nightmare Before Christmas.

Courtney as The Corpse Bride.

Little Butterfly.

I didn't get a picture of Rachel. Her and Jonnie were Jessie and Woody from Toy story.

One Witch On A Hill.

I guess this book had been read to Autumn so much she memorized it. If you watch or fast forward to the end you'll see what happened, I turned off the video before she got upset and thought the lady will be really mad at her. We haven't decided what to do yet...I guess it would be the book she would want to buy.

Amazing Jake's and a Parade

This past Friday was QT's annual employee party and it was at Amazing Jake's. All the family took the day off work and school to go. It was fun, we spent the day eating,bowling, laser tag, video games and rides. After the party we had a DBack game and Autumn had earned the prize of the Parade around the warning track for attending her 20th game. Her and Jack walked around prior to the game. We had a full day that day!

First day of Autumn 2012

Chili Jack grew

Finally the first day of Autumn has come, now just waiting for the weather to cool down. I try and bring some fall feel to the heat with some cooking. I made some Dill Beans with some Cayenne that Jack grew. I ground it up to add some kick to the beans. We made a Apple Walnut Craisin Tart with some Apple Pie filling Marili canned. The jars are too pretty to open and use but we did. The girls and I have been on a quest to make an Italian Cream Soda that the syrup doesn't cause the cream to curdle and finally we solved our dilemma. We make our own syrup with fresh fruit, my favorite is raspberry.

Dill Green Beans

Raspberry Syrup

Quick summer already fall..

 Wow, it's been awhile since I posted. I guess not much has happened to post about, we had a pretty boring summer that went too quick and now fall is two days away. We were busy with work, school, swim lessons, tumbling, dance classes and Diamond Back games. Autumn did most of those things to keep her busy because she sure keeps us busy. We have enjoyed being ticket season holders for the Dbacks, busy with lots of games. We went to Snowflake a few times to get out of the heat but that was about it for any vacation. My siblings and I got together to paint and put new flooring down for my mom, looks nice. We all get along so well with out any disagreements, well..we listen and just do what mom tells us to do..lol. She is doing good. Glad to see she is getting stuff done around the house. She has had a new fence put around the yard and in addition to the kitchen she had a A/C installed, she was afraid the heater would go out this winter so went ahead and had the A/C heater done. She will be getting new flooring in the living room soon.
  Karen has been busy at school she is a Junior this year. Rachel moved into her own apartment and is in her second year at Phoenix College.Kyle has still been looking into Police Departments around the state and not much luck. Autumn is getting bigger and says the funniest things. She said she is learning Spanish and listening really hard so she can learn more letters so she won' t ever have to go to school, she thinks she has it all solved! She says she knows Spanish and will come up with 'spanish' words if we ask her what something is in Spanish. She was telling her cousins how to play games in 'spanish', not sure if they knew she really doesn't know. She told us the other day that she was hungry and all she had to eat all day was only four boogers! I don't know if that is really ALL she had (don't care to know) but she is getting pretty good at exaggerating and telling jokes. She keeps us laughing for sure.
 Not much else is going on with us. Jack has gotten into GeoCaching and rides his bike to find most of them. He has found 100 so far and has taken Autumn to get a few of the treasure ones to trade a trinket with. We stopped on the way to Snowflake to find some, there are a few from Payson to Snowflake. They are fun to find.

Mother's Day

 I had Mother's Day off, first Sunday off in several months. We drove to Schnepfs Farm and picked peaches.

 We then had lunch at Subway and drove to Phone D Sutton at Salt River. Autumn had fun playing in the water and climbing rocks. All this was after a lovely breakfast served in bed from Rachel and Karen. They got up early to start cooking because Rachel had to work. I also received two herb gardens from them and a pot of flowers from Kyle. Kyle and Rachel had to work but we had a fun day.

After a long drive in my cramped three door car with out A/C, we decide to purchase a new car the next day. I am loving my Nissan Rogue. We got a good deal, a 2008 with only 29000miles. Still has the new car smell!

Drawings

 Autumn likes to draw on Jack's board at work.

                               We don't know how or why she drew this upside down.

                                           Up on the Jumbo Tron.

                                                          Finally after many games of her watching the other kids see Baxter and checking which kids were going to cry she decided she wasn't scared and could go see him.

        We have been enjoying our tickets and Autumn joined the Kids Club so she gets a prize each game she goes to. Last game we went to they gave out Ryan Roberts Tattoo sleeves. Autumn wore hers on her leg.

DBacks

 Before and after, dress made with Home Opener shirt give away.