Maya's 1st Birthday

Today was Maya's first birthday. She had her party at the park next door to our house. We couldn't of asked for better weather, high 70s and not a cloud in the sky. Lots of friends and family were there to help celebrate her birthday. She enjoyed eating her cake and using her fingers to do so. She ate plenty of food prior to her cake, which consisted of 2 and a half hot dogs and a lot of macaroni salad. She enjoyed her birthday and thanks everyone for coming to her party and barbeque.

Sammy Sings

Last night at the Excelencia Carnival, Sammy decided he was going to be a great rock star. At first he didn't want to touch the microphones where the karokee machine was at, but then he warmed up and kept singing anything and everything which came to his mind. He even decided to start yelling right when Jason was working next to the speaker to make sure it wasn't too loud. Sammy thought this was funny and kept yelling while Jason was right next to the speaker and was holding he ears.

Maya's Thoughts on a High Chair

This morning before we left for work, Maya was sitting in her high chair and she was eating some gram crackers. She has decided her high chair with the tray on it doesn’t just serve as a place for her to eat. She believes it is a place for her to stand up in, if she isn’t buckled, turn around in, and yes even try to climb out of. Maya has been successful in climbing onto the tray of her high chair, with us their of course and just giving big smiles and yelling “Dada” and shaking her head when we tell her No. She loves to stand up facing the back of her high chair holding on, and now she has mastered the art of standing up facing backwards to look what is going on behind her while leaning on the tray. Needless to say, Maya is more courageous then her brother was at this time and she is our little monkey.

Jason

A square mile told by a three year old

Tonight at dinner Sam was finished and drawing numbers on a piece of
paper with squares on it and he said he needed to do "17 square miles of
work". When I asked him what a square mile was he said, "We are all done
with our homework."

Karen

Karen and Jason's Trip to Sedona

We celebrated our 5 year anniversary last weekend, October 28-30th. I had worked for a long time on planning this trip to make it memorable. We went to Sedona where 7 and half years ago I asked Karen to marry me. When I asked her to marry me, I did it on a Pink Jeep Tour where we were overlooking Jerome and the Verde valley (not this picture).

I had surprised Karen this whole weekend and this was no different. She had found out on Saturday we were going to go on a Pink jeep tour, but she didn't know which one we were going on. I chose for us to go on the scenic rim tour, which was mostly using Schnebly Hill Road, a very old dirt road leading from Sedona to Flagstaff, Arizona. We were the only one's on the tour and the guide was great, he took us off the road and we went 4x4 ing. We got to a spot which was overlooking all of Sedona, the picture above and all the views were just awesome to look at.


This picture was taken along the road and something we just don't see down here in Phoenix. This was one of the trees in which the leaves were changing color before falling off for the winter. We were actually able to see the changing of seasons.





Jason

Sammy is too smart

The weather out here in Arizona today is not too bad. It is supposed to be in the 80's today so it should of been a great day to get outside. This morning was cold, in the low 50's where we live up by the Deer Valley Airpot. Sam woke up late this morning, around 7:30AM and then was starting to get antsy around 10AM and wanted to go outside. He didn't just want to go anywhere though, he came up to me and said "Daddy, I want to go to the mall to get my energy out!" I was a bit suprised by this and at the same time laughing because he knew exactly where we go often. We like to go to the mall with the kids because out here they all have indoor play areas, we like to go to the bookstores as well to read books and play in there with them. So when Sammy told me exactly what he wanted to do, I said alright let's go.

Later when we were at the mall and all of us were sitting down eating a snack, he told us "Guys, I don't like the mall". We asked him what he meant. To which he told us "I like school better than the mall". I told him keep it up, and in 10 years I'll check back with him. He just laughed as did all of us.

Jason

Maya's Bath time

Earlier today, Jason was giving Maya a bath in the big bathtub and had the baby bath, which Maya has been in for all of her life, (which next week will be 1 year) , but Maya wanted no more to do with this. She is a little monkey and crawling and climbing all over the place. The bathtub is no different, she loves to stand on the outside hanging onto the lip. Well, while taking her bath this morning she decided to turn around and reach for the edge of the tub. She then pulled herself up and stood up within her baby tub. I was standing write there to make sure she was fine. She then stepped out of her tub and was standing holding onto the edge of the regular bathtub. I moved her baby tub out of the regular tub. I made Maya sit back down in the regular bath, to which she was very happy and just started playing and splashing me.

Jason