Rachel's big month of May

Rachel has had a busy month. She had her Senior prom, Senior Banquet and Graduation.

Iowa

Baby geese Autumn was trying to scare.

Autumn had fun playing with her big brother.

Kyle pulling weeds in his backyard.

Jack, Autumn and I went to Des Moines to see Kyle graduate from college. We flew and had a two hour layover in Denver both ways. Autumn did fairly well on the plane. She had a hard time keeping her seat belt on during take off and landing. She also chose this time to show her independence by not wanting me to help her and to open/close window and tray on her own and scream when I tried to help. She was sick on one of the days we were there, running a fever and throwing up. We figured from sucking on the plane seat belt or rolling her gum on the arms of the airport chairs. Luckily she was better before our flight out. I was kinda concerned she might have an ear infection. She was a little fussy on the flight home, half asleep half awake and wasn't happy when she found out she slept through juice time. Of course all the time I used transferring videos to the Play Station Portable was a waste, she stayed occupied with ordinary books!
It was windy, but not as cold as it looks. Graduation day it was nice, warm.




Autumn learned how to roll down the hill.
La Crosse WI

Kyle's girlfriend got us a great deal on a Hotel. It was a suite and had a kitchen with two microwaves, full size fridge and dishwasher. We didn't need it though as they had a breakfast buffet and comp dinner. Autumn had fun in the pool and seeing the wildlife at the pond behind the hotel. Kyle let us use his truck so we saved on car rental. He left Thursday for a game in another part of IA, and stayed the night before heading to WI. On Friday we drove over 600 miles through Minnesota to Wisconsin to see his team play ball. Kyle didn't play but we at least got to see his team play and meet the coach. We also spent more on gas than hotel and food. Wish we would have had more time to see WI and walk by the Mississippi.

His graduation was nice. Short and sweet. There were 400 graduates. We got to see our son get his BA in Criminal Justice. So proud! Autumn slept through most of it, she was running a fever. My brother Paul was in Missouri and him and his son Reid drove over to IA for his graduation. We didn't realize until later that Kyle's girlfriend played flute in the band, and we were sitting next to the band. We then went to Kyle's house for a BBQ. His roommate Sean's family lives in Des Moines and they brought food and we had a nice visit. It was fun being at my son's house. A bat flew into the house and everyone was running and screaming. It landed on Kyle's back and kids were hiding under the table. My little nephew Reid tried to hit it with an empty water bottle but then someone else hit it with a shoe. One of the girls tried to reassure Reid that the bat was OK and they took it outside, but that was the highlight of Reid's trip!

We took a quick tour of Grand View University. It is in walking distance for Kyle. We had a nice lunch with Kyle and his girlfriend Dollie and then was dropped off at the airport for home. At the Iowa Airport they have automated toilet seat covers, we had never seen them before and Autumn wouldn't use them. We arrived to a house still standing! So far no complaints from the neighbors that Rachel and Karen had any sort of party!

New Room

The jungle animal wall hangings.

Farm animals.

I finally got around to painting Autumn's room. It was Rachel's old room and I hadn't painted since she moved into Kyle's room 2yrs ago and it was jumbled with every ones left over room decor. Yellow paint and brown curtains. But we painted it a couple of weeks ago and added a tree on the wall. Autumn loves the tree and says "my tree". The girls helped make wall hangings which I had seen on Martha Stewart, but the lady who makes them charges $140 each. We made 8 for $20. I am in the process of making her quilt, hopefully get started sewing today the blocks are cut, they are from Autumn's baby receiving blankets. I just hated to get rid of them they were so cute and didn't know if anyone would want hand me down blankets. Hopefully turns out okay. When Karen gets her room clean and her bed made I will post pics of her room which we finally finished! Her and Jack made a nice bookshelf.

Nice day to fly a kite.

We went to the Japanese Festival at Margret Hance Park. Autumn made a kite and yesterday was a perfect day to fly it. We also had her sponge bob kite which Jack put on a fishing rod so it went really high.

It was a pretty warm day while we were at the festival and Autumn was disappointed that the sand and slide were too hot to play.So we went to the Phoenix Central Library and she took her shoes off and went jumping from one air vent to the next, it was nice and cool on her feet. The air vents are in the floor.

April Fools

We were getting Autumn to tell April Fools jokes and she was having fun doing it. After she would say "April Fools" we would all 'laugh' and then she would hug all of us. She would make sure we laughed too! When I first told her to tell Jack a joke and then say "April Fools, joking" she did asking him if he wanted a bite of her 'candy bar' then she told him a 'joke'. Her favorite one is why did the gum cross the road? It was stuck to the chicken's foot. She made up the joke in the video, "why did the poop cross the road? It was stuck to the chicken man foot." Nice!

Rodeo!

David had a Rodeo and we went to watch him. Autumn immediately wanted to ride the horses. She got right on with David and he took her for a ride. She seemed quite comfortable on the horse.

Grandpa Phil was also here and went with to the rodeo too. Autumn had fun getting to know him, he had only seen her once before when she was a baby.

Getting up to date.

At Enchanted Island in Encanto Park. Autumn on the bumper boats. She had fun doing the rides by herself.

Rachel and Karen never miss a chance to do a photo shoot. They don't remember going to Enchanted Island when they were little but we did take them.

I guess it's been awhile since my last post. Autumn keeps me busy and we have had a busy month. I haven't been to work in a few weeks, waiting for them to find us some new clients. Rachel started working at Quik Trip and has already put in her first week. Kyle had springbreak in Daytona Beach again this year and has been dealing with the same cold weather in Des Moines that he always does.He also started playing games, some of them they put on GrandView radio, if I can ever find them. Karen has just been busy doing school work. We have had some nice visits with family from out of town! In 3wks Jack, me and Autumn go to Des Moines for Kyle's graduation. Rachel has prom coming up and graduates May 25. She is hoping to go to ASU after graduating, we sent in financial so we will see what they can do. Kyle is looking to move back to AZ in June.Looks like we have a busy couple of months ahead . . At the Wild Life World Zoo with cousins.

At the Phx Zoo thanks to culture passes again! Autumn got into my lipstick. She does pretty good applying it so had to put up this picture. Cover Girl will be glad to know that it doesn't wear off!

At the Museum of Natural History, also culture pass! Autumn had fun panning for gold and climbing through the logs. She had fun there! It's a kids hands on place. She was so tired after we left that she fell asleep while eating an icecream cone.