Our Field Trip to the Arizona Military Museum

In our history studies, we are just wrapping up learning about World War I and will soon be starting World War II. So, it was only fitting that we take a field trip to the Arizona Military Museum on October 28. At the museum, we learned about Arizona's rich military history--from the Spanish Territorial days until the present conflicts in the Middle East. We had a personal tour from the museum President, Col. Joe Abodeely. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about the entire scope of Arizona's military history. It was clear that he loves the museum, and so did we! When asked what their favorite parts were, the kids unanimously declared that they loved seeing the guns used in each war and of course the full sized combat helicopter which was housed in the East room. This field trip was especially special for us because Grandma Bettie and Dad were able to join us!

Gone Fishin'

Saturday, October 17 was a warm morning, perfect for heading out early to Veteran's Oasis Park for some family fishing fun! The boys were SO excited to try fishing for the first time. Grandpa Ron gave the boys their own fishing poles the week before, and they could hardly wait to try them out! We told several of our friends about our plans to spend the morning fishing, and we were so happy to have them join us! In addition to a fun morning out by the lake, Daniel and Benjamin completed the requirements to earn their Fishing Belt Loops for Cub Scouts. The boys had so much fun, they didn't care that the only catch of the day was caught by Dad and was pretty tiny. After fishing, we hiked around the lake for a while and then it was time to head home!

Family Movie Date!

We love days when Dad doesn't have to work! And, Columbus Day is one of those days! We celebrated this holiday by taking the whole family to the movies! We took in a 3-D, double feature of Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2. Us kids loved watching the movie with the cool 3-D glasses. We loved sitting in the very back row, munching on candy and popcorn, too.

Daniel's Art: Fall 2009

Here are the wonderful things Daniel made!

Fall Break in the Pines!

Our family had a wonderful time in Pinetop over the Fall Break. We spent five days living in a cabin with three of our favorite families: the Fenders, the Glaziers and the Nails. All 13 kids got along great and loved spending time outside in the cool--playing basketball, swinging in the hammock and discovering nature. The grown ups enjoyed relaxing on the porch, putting together a challenging puzzle and staying up late talking and playing games. We did a family scavenger hunt on Monday--trying to find almost a hundred items in nature. On Tuesday, we went on a family hike along Silver Creek. While on the hike, we saw snakes, trout, a horned lizard, a dead coyote, lava flows and many different types of animal tracks. When asked what our favorite thing about our vacation was, each boy responded confidently, "spending time with friends and family!" What precious memories we all will cherish from our vacation in the mountain pines!