Fall for a Day

 

We had the brief feeling of Fall this last weekend so Peter, Scout and I took advantage of every minute.  Evenings in the park with friends and the night of caramel apples just topped off the Fall weekend.  All three of these little girlies where so cute and fun all evening (Lola and Recker too, not pictured).  They had so much fun eating caramel apples and candy.  The weather put everyone in a great mood and got me that much more excited about checking activities off of my Fall TO DO list.  Next, visit a pumpkin patch.

 

Pie-licious Holidays

 

I love getting in the mood for the holidays.  Decorating, crafts, long outdoor outings and baking being my favorite parts of the season.  So when I woke up this morning with pie on the brain I had to bake.  Unfortunately, I have never made a decent pie crust.  In holidays past it always ends up too thick or too dry, I was determined to make a good pie crust from scratch.  Although my pie is not the most fall flavor, peach, I was still very pleased and in a wonderful holiday spirit when it turned out so beautiful.  I hope it tastes as good as it looks.  Now this November come Thanksgiving I won't have to settle for the store bought crust.  I have two months to figure out how to make the edges pretty.     

September

Getting out of town is a must when the weather is still in the 100's and October is approaching, so we headed up north to Rose Creek.  It quickly got me in the mood for the holiday season with the cold weather, loads of delicious food and all my family being around.  Vacations are extra relaxing when you have lots of kiddos around who are willing and able to take care of your kiddo. Scout had a blast with all her cousins and I didn't have to lift a finger.

Now I am officially ready to start the holiday season, bring on Halloween.

 

August

I'm not sure why but this kid has become like the funniest person to me since she turned one.  Before turning one I would have told you she was a pretty serious soul. But recently she has become a great dancer (not a skill she obtained from either of her parents...maybe shes been watching her uncle Ty).  She sings beautifully, meows like an angel, tries really hard to jump but can't,  and has a hilarious fake cry. 
I love having her around. 

 

I hope all of you also spent your August shirtless like we did.

July

 I was feeling like I needed to update my blog, so I uploaded all my photos from my camera and this was about it.  July has been a boring month for us, a lot of inside time which doesn't extend beyond naps and netflix.  When we do get outside I make sure that water and popsicles are involved.  I hope August has more in store for us than July did.

 

Family Reunion, Fourth of July and Fun

We had a blast this past week at the Backus Family Reunion up in Dolores, Colorado.  Peter made quick work of building a dam so that the babies and mamas could lounge without being swept down river. We rode motorcycles, swam, lounged in the beautiful weather and ate the entire 3 days we were there.  It was sad to come back to the valley. I touched the car window as we rolled into the driveway and it burned my hand....at that moment I wondered why we live here.  Needless to say, I had to remind myself that winters in Arizona are beautiful.

 

 

 

 I am sure the rest of you enjoyed 4th of July as much as we did.  The unexpected rain was slightly chilly while we rode the slides of Wet n' Wild in the morning with the Dangerfield family.  I was glad we didn't bother taking Scout to a fireworks show that night, she jumped and cried every time a firework exploded.  Luckily, we were able to enjoy some large fireworks the neighbors were setting off over at Gilbert Jr. High, so we weren't completely without a show.

        She eats like her dad right?             

A First For Everything

 We have had a big month so far and there is still more to come.  After six weeks of interviewing with Touchstone, Peter was finally offered a job as a Brief Strategic Family Therapist.  He will be going into peoples homes and having family therapy sessions.  We are very excited that this has worked out.  Not only will he be getting a regular income he will also be getting his hours to eventually become an LCSW and be able to open his own practice....someday. 

This last weekend we went and stayed in a cabin with the Dangerfields in Flagstaff.  We got to celebrate Scouts 1st birthday.  She shocked us all by consuming her entire birthday cake.  I seriously wish I had video of the cake eating feat, it was a very impressive moment in her life that I'm sure she will want to remember.

Post cake eating.

 I'm glad that she is finally excited about receiving presents.  She loves her new bike and screams when we take her off.

 

 Claire receiving one of Scout's world class back rubs.

 Spelunking with dad.

Here is the Dangerfield family at Lava River Cave.  It was a blast!

 

We also went to the Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course where I embraced my fear of heights.  40+ feet up in the air hanging from a cable and walking/swinging/jumping from logs and ropes.  We got a fabulous workout and had a lot of fun.  It is a must try if you are spending the day in Flagstaff.

On the way home, we couldn't help ourselves from stopping at Slide Rock.  It was a great conclusion to an amazing weekend.