summer getaway #1...

since it is almost thanksgiving i thought i'd better finish this post i started oh about 2 months ago!  i don't do that great of a job recording events right when they happen.  i need to work on that, how do i get more time in the day?? maybe i'll have all my summer posts done by christmas!

since we were remodeling this summer and had many changes and little issues along the way to deal with, we didn't know if we would be able to make it out of town over the summer.  luckily, we were able to fit in two five day vacations the last two weeks of summer which made for a wonderful break from the remodel and heat just in time before the start of school.

lori has been inviting us up to her cabin for years and for years we have gone...we absolutely love going and she and i both love the time our children have together to relax, explore and enjoy each other in some cooler temps...

the boys played a lot of soccer...

the little guys got real into it too. you can tell they both have older siblings, both # 4, and both so sweet...

then they would just keep running to play in the sand for awhile...

and the girls always get along great too...

these two are still the best of friends...

look at that gorgeous scenery.  it was so beautiful, we just loved being there with our great friends.  

we made hot chocolate for the kids every morning (along with a big breakfast, lunch and dinner!!) here's our morning hot chocolate crew...

the kids took turns putting on plays for us on the front porch.  the girls:

and the boys:

we went on hikes and on the zip line...

here's our crew in the annual picture on the 

front porch right before we leave to go home...

sweet baby Ava is missing, but here they are again...

and lori and i were brought to tears watching these two say good-bye to each other (they were staying at their cabin for a few more days after we left).  they wouldn't let go...

we had a great time and are so thankful to have such wonderful friends.  all of our kids get along so well and we cherish these memories they will have to look back on of their childhood summers up in the cooler parts of az.

5th grade saints and the halloween parade

the last few weeks have been busy for the 5th graders.  they each get to pick a saint to study and give a written and oral report on.  then they dress up as their saint for the school halloween parade and then again on all saints day and give another speech at the end of mass about their saint.

i cry every year.  it is so touching to hear their speeches and learn so much about so many saints from them.  and to see these kids growing up into to such beautiful people, in a spiritual sense, i mean.  it is really touching.  and this year, we had our own saint in the parade and the mass...

yes, he was st. christopher.  and that is the child jesus on his shoulder that st. christopher carried across the water.  here he is giving his speech at the end of mass yesterday...

and some more 5th grade saints from the mass...

do you recognize who some of them are?  don't they look amazing?  here are both 5th grade classes of saints...

and here are some pictures from the halloween parade last week...

they got to wear their costumes all day yesterday after mass so as to be good examples to the rest of the school of how wonderful the saints are and that we should all strive to be one.  

they still had p.e. - some of the boys took off their costumes (and wore the shirts and shorts they had on underneath) just for p.e., and some still played (dodgeball) in their full costume, beards and all.  we all got a good laugh at that last night when christopher told us at dinner.  

i just love these kids...

and we especially love and are so proud of our very own 5th grade saint...

halloween 2010

it was another great year. we had the most trick-or-treaters we have ever had. i was prepared with tons of candy and glad (kind of) that just about all of it was gone by the end of the evening.  here's our clan for this year...

yes, christopher was a box.  his idea - i loved it.  it was a quick, easy, free and funny!  we taped a plastic bag to the inside of the box for the candy to get dropped into, also his idea.

these two were quite adorable...

i could just eat him up...does anyone know how to freeze a child?

we have this great carving tool that is safe and easy to use, so the kids cleaned out and carved their own pumpkins this year.  that was a treat in itself!

of course, i helped john john...

hope everyone had a...