Riding

Kayli and me in stellar hats.

Look how much my Dad trusts me, I'm on the half-broke 2 year old. (Misplaced trust.)At least I can get off a horse, which apparently Kayli can't.

Ana the Cowgirl

Grandpa and Elena (Elena yelled excitedly every time she saw the horses out the window, but she wasn't as thrilled to actually be on one.)

Jethro and Ana (Is Ana backseat driving?)

Ana and Rio

Elena and Mrs. Potts

Katelyn and Lynnaea

Olivia, Brynne, Katelyn and Garrett

Gideon, Derek, and Ana

Ana, Danica, Tyson, Hailey, and Jethro chilling.

I really don't have favorites out of my nieces and nephews, but if I did, Hailey might be it.

Garrett, Wyatt, and Chad. (Wyatt is as sweet as ever.)

I just liked this picture of Jethro. Such a Jethro face.

Amy on my horse. It is my horse. I don't care how many others have called tabs on it. Maggie is all mine. (In my dreams.)

Canadian Thanksgiving

Myles, Jethro, Tyson, and Garrett showing their muscles.

Unbeknown to most U.S. citizens, Canada has a Thanksgiving. It's in October. I like that, then once Halloween is past you can concentrate strictly on Christmas. We were all home this year at my mom's house (minus my husband and Kayli's husband).

Lindsay looking beautiful.

Amy looking beautiful.

Emeline passed out from too much excitement; she couldn't even finish the pie.

One table full.

Another table full.

And still another table full. There were 41 people there total. 26 grandchildren.
Isn't Mom's table cool? I think it's awesome, but Mom hates it. Too bad. And a picture of Mom and Dad with Kayli's kids. I just thought it was a cute photo.

The Phoenix Children's Museum in Pictures

Okay this was supposed to be just pictures, but the guy on the left is my creation and the hotdog is Leo's. We had fun anyway.

At Abuela's Casa

Our family all went swimming (it was a 100 degrees that day) but everyone else that we were crazy because it was so cold! Hee. Hee.



This picture is just because I love 16 lane highways soooo much!!!! And Chicago roads stink.And of course, I fitted in making two arrangements for my sister Amy, the one on the right isn't quite done. We're going to add blue flowers eventually.

This is in the entry way of her house, her oldest daughter's picture still needs to go up. Cute, eh?

The Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo was a blast! I recommend it to anyone heading that way. Although I don't see how anyone could handle it in the middle of summer. It was 104 the day we went in October. Crazy. I'm never moving back to Phoenix. (Oops. Did I just jinx myself?)

Some of the animals we saw.

My own crazy animals. These were taken in the "Colombia" part of the zoo. Yes, it really does have a section based on Colombia. There's a border crossing station and everything.The caverns were great to cool down in. The kids would have stayed there all day. Ana was so excited to the ride the camel.She was not as excited here. She wanted McDonald's. Martha instead took Leo and I out to our favorite restaurant in Phoenix--Haji Babba's. (It's on Apache close to ASU for anyone interested.) Their food is way better than their mural paintings.

Heading Out

This is Elena helping pack. Oh, so helpful isn't she?This is Elena dressing herself on the left, and on the right, her new thing, carrying around in buckets and bags whatever is available to be carried within her reach, and of course while wearing Ana's shoes

This is Elena in Arizona. That's where we kept her for the duration of the time we spent at my mother-in-law's. I wish. No, she just really liked Honey (the dog). Although Leo taught her to say "tonta" and then she said it incessantly to the dog while pointing her finger and looking very grim and serious. Anyway, more to come soon...