Leaving our home in Arizona...

The last week of May was a big one for us!

The movers came to pack up our stuff and leave me with an empty house.

After the movers left we welcomed family to help celebrate Kevin's graduation!

We had a lot of family from both sides that were able to come and show their support for our family's accomplishment...it was great and we felt loved!

We did it!!!

Kevin was able to be hooded by my father.

First week of June

After all the excitement of graduation we had a week still to stay in Arizona. The reason?... Kevin and Cole left for a week at scout camp and Ethan had scout day camp. 

So the rest of us camped out in our house that week.

It was a long week, but we kept busy making toys out of almost nothing. I was really amazed at what the kids came up with using their imaginations and the few things we still had around the house.

This soda box became a truck. The pieces that came off of it were made into a car and a pair of ski's:)  This girl came make fun out of just about anything!    

We took a day to go to the Phoenix Children's museum.

 We cooled off at the Foothills Rec Center.

The day we left Arizona I had to snap a picture of this sign...

Every time we passed it these past 4 years, I would chuckle.  

The burrows and a great many other things I will miss about living in Arizona! Great friends that we made while living there, the citrus trees, and the beautiful cactus blooms! 

I love the beauty of the Sonoran Desert!

2014 Family Pictures - Spring

Spring time is such a great time of year! New beginnings and fresh starts.  

 We had these taken by my sister Holly in the church orchard near Santa Clara.  We couldn't be happier with how they turned out....Holly is so talented!

We are about to finish another chapter of our lives and move on to the next. Kevin is going to graduate in a few weeks and complete the dream that has been in the works for close to 8 years.  

I feel like we all need to go up on stage and receive our own diplomas!! 

The kids and I have definitely earned something!

I can't believe how we have grown these past 4 years here in Arizona.  

We have all grown both as a family and individually.

We are so excited to be moving to the Washington DC area.  We will be there for just one year and that is what prompted me to end this year long blog drought.  I decided a long time ago I'm not much of a blogger. However, we will be separated from our family this coming year with a whole country between us...Yikes! 

My  goal is to make one weekly blog report over this next year.

I am wanting to do this for two reasons: 

1) To let family and friends see what we do and see on the east coast. 

2) To record some of what we do so we don't forget this awesome experience!

How we looked 4 years ago...

Stuffington Bear Field Trip

Stuffington Bear Factory

 

Izzy got to go on her last kindergarten field trip this week and I got to go with her!

They saved the best for last.  All the kids got to learn how stuffed animals were made and got to bring home their own bear.  Izzy thought this was the best Field trip of the year!

 

 

 

All the kids waiting to go inside.

Every time I get to go on one of Challenge Charter School's field trips I'm so amazed at how well behaved and polite the kids are!  Even in kindergarten, kids all raise their hands before speaking, listen and follow directions!

It makes it really fun to go help out:)

 

Izzy waiting to stuff her bear.

Bluey getting a brush.

Air baths are a must.

 

 Izzy and Bluey

There were a lot of names like: Fluffy, Beary, Browny...

this age is so fun!

 

Izzy with her school friends and their new bears.

 

It was so fun to spend the morning with my sweet little girl!

 

 

Sonoran Gophersnake

Warning-

Don't read on if you don't like snakes!!!

I was driving home tonight from my Relief Society meeting and came across this poor little guy in the road.  I'm sad because I actually really like snakes, crazy I know, but I do.  It was already dead, not that I could or would have done anything for it anyway.   I have never once seen a snake while living here, so I stopped to see what kind it was. I was curious to see what types of snakes are out there.  We live next to a wash which has a bike trail on both sides of it that we use all the time.

I came home and looked it up and I believe it was a Gopher Snake.  Super awesome snake to have around, so I'm sad that it was hit by a car.  It was huge, at least 4 feet long, and after doing the research I found out that they can get even bigger!  If your interested here is the information I found about them...


Sonoran Gopher snake - Pituophis catenifer affnis

Harmless, The Sonoran Gopher snake is a large snake that can be found everywhere in the Phoenix area, even in alleyways and backyards in urban areas. These are very commonly mistaken for rattlesnakes due to a very good impersonation, which includes flattening the head, loud hissing, striking, and even a rattling tail.

While they can become quite large and give a painful bite, they are otherwise completely harmless and great to have around.

The gopher snake shown above is one of the largest snakes in our range, reaching a length of as much as eight feet. These snakes are active during the day in cool weather and at night in warm weather. They are an asset in helping control rodents, since they consume a large number of them. When not hunting, they will hide under rocks or in animal burrows.

Zoo Date with Ashton

Last week I was able to go to the zoo with just Ashton!

I can't remember a time I've been to the zoo with just one kid.  Ashton got to pick every stop and got to see and do whatever he wanted without consulting the group.

It was a lot of fun!  I'm really enjoying this one on one time with him.  He is a great pal!

 

The baby orangutan was hiding under the palm frond.

 

We love to watch this little guy, he is always putting on a good show:)

No Training Wheels!

Freedom!

Ashton finally let us take the training wheels off.

He has had them lifted up and really not using them since January.  What got him to finally do it was, I put the tools in his hands and he took them off himself.  I think it made him feel powerful:)

 

We've been on a few family bike rides and it is a blast!

 

 

Isabel is 6!

The beginning of April my sweet little girl turned 6!

 

 

The party...

 

She wanted a My Little Pony party, it was so fun!