November 2011

November is always an awesome month. Autumn is so beautiful and there are always fun things to do as a family!

JC and I went to see the Blue Man Group as a gift from his mom. It was so much fun! We laughed a lot and enjoyed how creative the show was. We will definitely have to take the kids to see them someday.

We went to see an old train rolling through town as part of some celebration the Town of Gilbert put on. It was an actual old fashioned steam engine (if you can't tell by the picture!). The kids thought it was really...loud. Haha. But they also thought it was neat! JC's brother, Chris, was there with his kids and his son, Shawn, went into some sort of overwhelmed coma when the train rolled in and pressed his face into his dad's cheek for a solid five minutes, unwilling to budge. It was hilarious!

Anyway, this event was pretty cool. I think if the kids had been just a bit older it would have been a really neat thing for them to be involved in and remember! Gilbert is an old railroad town so it's part of our history!

November of this year was also when James decided to abandon his training wheels! We had some moments here and there throughout the month when he gave it ago! By Christmas I think he was getting pretty good.

Since he spent time working on his riding over at the greenbelt, we all spent some time exploring over there.

Bethany was just discovering her love for horses and loved pretending that her bike was one. Here, she has her horse tied to a tree so he won't run away while she plays.

Something that comes with the territory of having little ones very close in age - - everything one does, the others want to do! James needed to decorate a turkey for his kindergarten class since we were getting close to Thanksgiving! The other two were very eager to participate so we made copies and let them have their fun!

Just a fun moment with Dad, reading together!

The weather this time of year is so amazing! It makes for plenty of outside play. Looking back on the years the kids were really little, I'm pretty sure these exercise balls got more use by them playing with them than me exercising with them!

Friends Shorie and Brookie are our neighbors and so much fun to have around!

I am always grateful for a ridiculously large driveway for the kids to play in!

I don't know why but I love capturing pictures of the kiddos sleeping. They are just so cute.

This is the spot at the foot of our bed that the kids crawl into during the night if they wake and need a new resting place.

I'm sure someday we won't allow it but for now...we do. :)

The backyard is one of our favorite places to be, especially when the weather is nice!

A big milestone for our family! James made his way into a booster seat in the car! Big boy!

(Two down, one to go!)

A cool moment JC captured...November 11th, 2001 at 11:11pm.

Or, in other words,

11:11, 11/11/11

Superboys!

Every once in a while, we try to get shots of the kids dressed up. 

Looks like we succeeded one Sunday!

We also like to capture pictures of them dressed as pirates.

Naturally.

More training wheel business (or lack of it, hopefully!)

On this day, James seemed to have the feeling it was going to happen.

So, of course, he got the appropriate gear on.

And the other two went about their business!

Getting all ready!

Since it was his training wheels, he got to help with the work!

That last moment before you commit...

And, he decided to go for it!

Off they went!

And we all followed behind!

Very cutely, I might add.

After a few pretty good attempts, it was time for a rest and a pep talk!

While Ben rolled around in the grass.

The boys! 

It's fun to enjoy some calm family time before things start getting busy around the holidays! I love our little family and the things we do together!

September 2011 - Daddy Daughter Party

I already did a September post but as I went to move on into October of 2011, I noticed that these pictures were about to go by the wayside! I don't have a whole lot of recollection about this...especially since I wasn't there...but I do remember they had it and it was the first Daddy Daughter Party that Bethany and JC ever went to! So, I couldn't let it go without documenting it!
Just a few cute pictures to have:

It was definitely a Fiesta of some sort!

Completely with a pinata, of course.

She found part of the pinata that broke off and kept it as a hat. For a really long time. I remember finding it in her room constantly for like, a year!

Ring around the rosy with friends! We have some blurriness but I believe next to Bethany is Mariah Shepherd, then around the circle, Bella Gutierrez, Mia Gutierrez, Lexy Caffall and Hannah Caffall.

Cute girl!

Even cuter. :)

It's always a treat when the kids get to have some Daddy time! Glad she got the chance on this day!

Field Day = Fun Day!

Last Thursday was a great day.

The last couple of years the kids had field day come and go and they would come home and tell me about. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun but never experienced it myself. This year, the heavens smiled down on me and not only were all my kids up at the school participating (no babies at home), but my back was better enough to be up and about! I decided to spend the morning up at the school and was very glad I did.

Bethany was ready to go! This was her third field day!

James was on his second round and dominated the hoola hoop station!

Now, it may have been Ben's first year but he was bringing his best game!

The kids rotated between stations with their classes and I spent a couple of hours jogging around the playground trying to catch each of them at each station!

Here, Ben is busy learning the magic of the parachute! He is on the right in the green.

In he goes!

Team player!

James lucked out and got the otter pop station right at first!

As you can see, he is enjoying his!

As is our friend, Tyler.

Here's Bethany playing catch with a friend!

And James, having a blast with some sort of rolling relay.

I don't know any of the right words for elementary school P.E. things.

Ben raced it up too.

Raced himself into a thirsty frenzy.

This was such a cute one. Wheelbarrow races and 3-legged races!

Bethany and friend Haley.

Visiting with the competition...

And back to racing!

James took the races so seriously, he even raced in between stations!

He loved every minute of it all.

Ben in a water race!

James loved the giant ball relay!

Bethany was eager to get picked to be 'it' in some form of tag.

They have all kinds of tag these days!

"It" she was! And away she went!

Caught this gem of her crashing into her good buddy, Alec. 

Ben and friends goofing off, waiting for their turns!

Because he always came over to hug me in between stations, Ben always ended up being the last in line haha...but he didn't mind!

And it was James' turn with catch

And there goes Ben with the ball!

He did great!

This one was the best. Good old fashioned tire race! 

Catch time for Ben!

James and his good friend, Aiden, tied up for the 3-legged race!

They laughed the whole way. I loved it.

Tug of war was a huge hit!

Bethany and her friends had the girls' team strong and secure.

All the while, James mastered the tire race.

Ben enjoyed tag. He liked to run around the perimeter and stay away from anyone who might tag him. Good strategy.

Bethany and friends ready for another game involving a giant ball!

Bethany had the most fun at the station made just for dancing!

Girls just wanna have fun!

James is amazing at tag!

Ben discovered that he could, indeed, push a giant tire.

Well, giant to him.

And James, still hard at work in tag, discovered...

That he actually can get caught sometimes.

In this game, when you get caught, you kneel down and wait for someone to bring you a rubber chicken.

Naturally.

Then it was on to Tug of War.

Which...should really be called War of Tugs.

Is it just me?

Either way, they did awesome.

Meanwhile, Bethany hippity hopped.

Like a boss.

James' class was still at the tugging.

And Ben moved on to the chicken tag game.

As you can see, he has a chicken.

More tugging for James.

Not kidding, they stayed at this station forever.

But soon after, it was Ben's class's turn!

They prepped their strategy....

And gave it their all!

Well...Ben gave it his all.

The other guys look slightly distracted.

There we go!

Fist pump for victory.

Bethany finally got to try her hand at the hoola hoop.

Which, of course, made her parched.

Ben's turn at the giant flying ball game.

I think this one was a little scary for the kindergartners!

But Bethany's 2nd grade class was right at home with the parachute!

I love this picture!

Did you know they do a thing called "Jello" with the parachute? Not to mention about ten other one-word catch-phrases that someone calls out and they all know exactly how to make this particular parachute activity happen? Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Of all the things elementary school teaches, this is right up there.

But anyway, for Jello, they bring the parachute down, then up, then behind their bodies, then they sit down on the edge of it. 

Then they kick the middle with their feet.

It makes it look like a jello mold.

It is disturbing.

And awesome.

And I just talked way more about this than any other thing.

It wasn't even my favorite part. I just felt it needed to be talked about.

She would agree.

James finished up field day with the hippity hop.

Another picture that I love.

Aaaand, Ben rounded out his first field day experience at the dance station.

His friends tried to get him to join in the dancing.

He resisted.

(Until I put him on my back and danced him around. What choice did he have then?)

It was seriously so much fun to be down at the kids' school, out in the fresh air and sunshine watching them have a blast! I was very grateful for the chance to be there.
Can't wait for next year!!!