AJ's Ninth Birthday

AJ turned nine this week. All week long, he eyed his growing stash of presents and begged to open just one early. We finally agreed to allow him to open one present on his birthday eve, but this was due to the fact that his little brother had already spoiled the surprised and told him what it was. 

For his birthday dinner, AJ chose to visit a hibachi restaurant over the weekend. It was fun to see S laughing and reacting to the experience of fire and culinary acrobatics, and AJ seemed content as well.

His actual birthday was filled with school, a trip to a trampoline park, and an evening celebration.

On his birthday evening, we ate dinner, devoured cake (he chose Boston cream pie this year), opened presents, and the kids watched Lady and the Tramp. It was much more relaxing than hosting a party of his friends and ensuring everyone was entertained and happy. 

AJ read The Lord of the Rings books this past year, and he was thrilled to receive a Frodo costume, complete with Sting, for his birthday. His other presents included a fluorescent yellow shirt and sweatshirt (which he loves), footed pajamas, an electric toothbrush, a green light-saber, and the fourth book in a series he is reading.  

At the end of the day, I had one happy boy. Success.

Air Show 2015

We visited our local air show this weekend. The weather promised sunshine and warmth, so we set out Saturday morning, armed with water backpacks, sunscreen, folding chairs, and the camera bag.

The "Japanese" planes flying in for Tora, Tora, Tora

We hit traffic before we left the highway, and I was worried that I would miss one of my favorite performances -- Tora, Tora, Tora. A recreation of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it is full of explosives and beautifully timed flying patterns which mimic a ballet in the sky.

The older kids and I finally got out of the car and started walking toward the airport. We reached it before Timo arrived with the car, and we took that time to walk through the B-17 that was on display there. It was a beautiful piece of machinery, and walking through it was like walking into the past. The men who served in those bombing missions had very little room to move around, and my respect for them multiplied.

Once we met up with Timo, we applied sunscreen and set up "camp" by some friends we know from our homeschool group. I was pleased to see that we had not missed the best performers, and the "Tora, Tora, Tora" show had been rescheduled to a later time to accommodate late-comers.

The Stearman

Some of my other favorites included the Stearman, the Yellow Pit Special (I have a thing for bi-planes, can you tell?), the Renegades, and the sky divers who used smoke trails. The stars of the show were, of course, the Thunderbirds. After they were done, most people left. We opted to stay a while to avoid the crowds, and my three oldest secured autographs of all of the officers involved in the Thunderbirds. It was well worth the extra time spent on the airshow grounds, especially since we encountered no traffic on our way out.

The Rocky Mountain Renegades

The Beech 18

The Yellow Pit Special and Stearman

These guys need no introduction

H securing an autograph from Number 6.
He went up to them and told them exactly where they needed to sign. 

I love air shows. The beauty of the machines combined with the talent of the pilots just gets me every time. I can't wait until the next one.

Mountains in Autumn

Sunrise

This weekend, we drove into the mountains to see if we could capture some of the fall colors in some photographs with the kids. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I wanted to snap some pictures of the beauty of creation as well as my sweet children. After deciding the local foliage was past its prime, we headed out on a spontaneous trip into the mountains. The morning after we arrived, I was blown away by the breathtaking beauty that surrounded us. The sun rising over the mountaintops cast an orange hue on the already-gorgeous fall colors.

The kids just wanted to get outside and play, but they grudgingly cooperated with their camera-obsessed mother and posed for a few shots. I was not happy with my results, but I realize that I need to learn more and practice with my camera. Perhaps I can salvage some of the better ones with editing.

All set to go

After our photo session, we hopped on ATV's and rode around the paths and trails. Then the kids wanted to fish. They successfully hooked a few trout, which always results in excited smiles. Then it was time to head home. We packed up and rolled out of there in time to attend their Sunday evening activities.

It was so nice to get away. Spending an evening away from laundry and the constant beckoning of housework provided a much-needed break for this weary mom. Put that evening in the mountains in autumn, and you get one happy girl.

  

Handsome AJ

K and H

Miss A was not happy, but she tried

Timo and H with his fish. He didn't want to touch it.

Proud of her catch

Little S

Minivans and Minivacations

Getting everyone to look at the camera is next to impossible

My wonderful sister-in-law came to visit us for a couple of days this week, and we decided to take advantage of her presence and do a little sight-seeing. We still needed to finish some schoolwork, but we eased up on the workload and took full advantage of the beautiful fall afternoons.

The first day, we visited a local candy shop where they make perfectly lovely toffee, brittle, and chocolates. The store serves ice cream and coffee as well, and the production floor is visible from a counter in the showroom. We ordered the kids ice cream and sent them to watch the day's production while we ordered our hot beverages. I was hoping they would be making toffee since that is fun to watch, but they were finishing up some carmel corn and then took a break. That was somewhat disappointing, but we perused the shelves and found some delicious treasures to purchase.

Little cutie

The following day, we drove up to the top of the Monument for an afternoon of hiking. We chose an easy trail that even S could enjoy. When we completed the hike, the kids turned in their booklets to earn their Junior Ranger Badges. H had not filled all his information out, but the lady was really kind and went through it orally with him.
My sweet SIL left Wednesday morning after being mauled my my kids crying, "Don't go! Don't go!" My heart echoed my kids' cries, but I knew she needed to depart. I hope to see her again before too long, but, for now, the memories will have to do.

Family Retreat

We went on a family retreat last weekend up in the mountains of beautiful Colorado. The drive up there was gorgeous, and it was refreshing to spend some time surrounded by the peace and quiet of nature. We didn't even have cell phone coverage or Internet access.

Driving up

Our mornings were spent in sessions, learning how to grow in our Christian faith and apply it to our lives in marriage, parenting, and reaching out to others. Our afternoons were free, allowing the kids to go out on boats on the lake or to catch minnows and crawdads along the shore. Timo also took the opportunity to practice fly fishing, while I seized the opportunity to nap one afternoon.

K on a paddle boat with a friend

Timo with the boys on a paddle boat

The lake

One of the mornings, we ate breakfast by the river. It was rather chilly, but A slept snugly in my Boba. As for the other kids, it is always nice when you don't have to worry about spilling on the floor.

The smiling picture

The silly picture

H sharing his blueberries with S

H by the river

Our morning view by the river

More of our morning view

The last full afternoon, we packed lunches for a picnic at a destination of our choosing. We opted for lunch by a waterfall about a half hour away. It was a short hike after the drive, but it was easy enough for all but the youngest of our group to manage. In all fairness, she isn't doing any hiking these days.

The waterfall. It was about 70 feet high.

Our attempt at a family photo

Another family photo. A wasn't very happy at this point.

After we left the waterfall, we stopped at a reservoir for another photo op.

The kids

Wait! We have five kids, not four.

Another family photo

The weekend was great. I came away from it with a lot of good information, and I think the kids enjoyed themselves and learned a lot, too. I hope to make it up there again sometime.

Christmas in Texas

This winter, we spent Christmas and New Year's in Texas. My sisters had arranged for us all to fly in to celebrate together, something that becomes increasingly rare and difficult as the years progress and our family sizes increase. Not everyone could be there, of course, but four out of six of us made it.

We spent about five days at a ranch a couple of hours away from San Antonio, and my kids enjoyed hiking, doing a high ropes course, and riding the zip line. They also got to meet some critters and even hold them.

AJ climbing the pole

K at the top of the pole. She had to jump for that trapeze.

Jumping

My niece climbing the pole

AJ at the climbing wall.

K conquering the climbing wall

AJ on the ropes course

AJ and Timo getting ready to do the zip line

Away they go

AJ

Timo

My love

AJ

K

K having too much fun

S holding a snake -- yes, it is real

K holding a tarantula

S hanging out

H with Grandma

Each night, a different family was in charge of dinner. One night, we chose a Hawaiian theme to honor my dad and the time he served in Hawaii during the Korean War. The menu and decor were Hawaiian, and K even performed a couple of dances as entertainment.

My parents and niece, Erika.

AJ

K dancing

Edith and K

After we left the ranch, we drove to San Antonio where we visited the Alamo. It was a short visit, but we had talked about the Alamo during history a while back, so I wanted to share the experience with the kids while I had a chance. Unfortunately, not all of the kiddos were thrilled about being there, so our visit was not as pleasant as it could have been.

Part of the Alamo

K in front of the Alamo

AJ in front of the Alamo

H in front of the Alamo

A rare shot of me (and baby in the belly)

The following day, we visited the children's museum. This was well-received by all of my kiddos. S had been sick, but he perked up at the museum. It was nice to see him happy and playing. 

K checking AJ out at the grocery store

S playing with trains

K giving a baby a bath -- practicing for her baby sibling to be born in April

AJ riding in the ambulance -- unfortunately, he has ridden in a  real one.

Uh, oh! Look who's driving the ambulance!

Riding the "horse"

S riding

H driving the "race car"

AJ controlling the space ship

Astronaut AJ. 

H wanted to ride in the ambulance, too.

Here, they put pipes together to use air to push little fuzzy balls out the top.

Carpenter S

AJ "roasting marshmallows"

K painting her face

All done

During the evenings, we also enjoyed the company of one of my sisters and her family. We walked from the hotel down to the San Antonio Riverwalk for dinner, which was crazy since the Alamo Bowl was just around the corner. Every single restaurant was packed, but it was fun to be able to spend a little more time with her and her family.

The buildings downtown were beautifully lit for Christmas

A church downtown

The day after the children's museum, we visited the zoo with my sister and her family. The weather was perfect, and the kids all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Riding the giant iguana

Fun pigeons

 In one section, you could purchase some special food to feed to these colorful birds.

AJ feeding a bird

K feeding a bird

H taking a turn

S on his favorite spot. We did bring a stroller, but he was happier here.

H looking at a crocodile

 Just outside of the zoo sits a train station. K wanted to see more animals, but my boys preferred a train ride. This got a bit chilly since the sun was setting, and we didn't all bring our coats on the train.

H, Timo, and S

AJ and H

I didn't get a photo of it, but H ended up with my coat on by the end of the train ride. My poor little guy was so cold.

After San Antonio, we drove up to spend a couple of days with my parents. We took it easy there, taking the kids to the park to play, visiting an old fort, and enjoying a more relaxed schedule. We also had the privilege of celebrating my parents' 56th wedding anniversary with them. They are an inspiration and a great model of a happily married couple.

K saluting by a cannon at the fort

Two saluting kids, one silly kid

H saluting by the cannon

Um... yeah

This was the first part of a fun display of Christmas lights. The kids REALLY enjoyed the whole thing.

A rare photo of me with my parents

My parents and I

We left my parents' house the afternoon before our flight left from San Antonio. This allowed us to sleep closer to the airport and catch our early flight.

The first flight went well, but we arrived to discover that our next flight had been cancelled. We rebooked a flight for the following morning, and, after waiting for a while at the airport (we had booked a hotel but could not check in until 3pm), we discovered that the second flight had been cancelled as well. At that point, we started weighing our options and decided to fly as close as we could to home and drive from there. We arrived home around 4:30am, but we were at least HOME.

The next day was a lazy day, and rightfully so. It was good to be home.