Colorado River Hot Air Balloon Festival

Last Saturday morning we got up at 5 and headed to town for the sunrise hot air balloon launch. The kids loved it! It was small-time compared to the week-long event in Albuquerque (maybe next year), but for our first hot air balloon festival, it was great!

Fun in Phoenix (except for a few hours watching football!)

We met my parents and some friends in Phoenix last weekend. We stayed in a great house that had a heated pool - as you can see, the kids (big and small) loved it!

While we were in town, we went to see the Cougs play at ASU - the only less than exciting part of our weekend. :(
Gracie with friend Barbara.

Byron trying to find something more fun to do than watch the game.

At least the sunset was nice.

We also made a little time to take the kids to the park.

We've Been Busy

Saturday we went to the Children's Festival of the Arts in downtown Yuma. We met our friends there and had a great time exploring with the kids. It's right up Gracie's alley - face painting and lots of crafting! :) It's right up our alley because it's all free! Emmett just wanted to run - anywhere away from us, so he spent a lot of time looking at the big fire trucks.

Monday night we had Ellie and Samantha over for a sleepover (the first for the little girls). We went bowling which everyone loved, except Emmett who tried one time, then said that's enough! We spent the rest of the evening chasing him around the bowling alley (fortunately, it's a very small bowling alley!).

Jason, teaching Gracie how to use the digital camera - not too bad for her first attempt! :)

Now, we're off to Phoenix for the weekend to meet my parents and Byron and Barb Rickert for Cougar football. Don't worry, we'll fill our free time with lots of fun activities so we don't have to remember the less-than-par football game!

Emmett's 18-month Check-Up

Yep, Emmett's still a big kid! He had his check-up today and the doctor took one look and the bruises and scratches on his shins and said, "He looks like a pretty busy kid!". We couldn't deny it. :-)
Here's how he measures up:

Weight: 30.2 lbs (91st %tile)
Height: 35.6 in (99th %tile)
Head: 100th %tile (poor kid with the big head - at least he's proportionate!)

Both kids are doing great. We're busy trying to find Christmas gifts that will help Emmett burn energy without harming people (he tests out every object by hitting with it!) If you have a boy and have ideas - we'd love to hear them!

Cowboy and Ballerina

Happy Halloween! (and a few other pics)

We had a great Halloween. Our friends came over for pizza and then we took all the kids out for a little trick-or-treating and to the Haunted House (big kids only!). Emmett did great and kept up with the older kids pretty well. We were all exhausted at the end of the evening, so mission accomplished! :)

Trick-or-Treating with friends The Pavey's
Pictured: Emmett, Gracie, Ellie, & Samantha with dad Calvin

Emmett, not so sure about the strangers who want to give him candy, but willing to take it anyway!

Waiting for Samantha to come out of the haunted house. Note Emmett's glassed-over eyes. :)

Not from Halloween, but I thought this was cute. Emmett building up his muscles by pushing Gracie around the yard.

Gracie and friend Nathan, enjoying a snack while the dads try to find deer in their scopes (they didn't see any living creatures except for one quail a half-mile away!).