Father's Day

21 June 2009: Happy Father's Day! I think father's day 2008 was my first blog - since we were in Utah and Brad still in Deutschland. Well we are all together this year and went a little crazy with the presents - I think because usually for birthdays & Christmas we cannot think what to get Brad, but had lots of ideas this time. Brad, 3 kids (Corin was napping) and some of his presents. His favorite present (really, it wasn't the golf clubs) was what the kids made for him. Here are a few samples... FROM KATIE: List 2 chores you would do to help your Dad: 1. hammer nails, 2. make shade for him when he digs a hole for a palm tree. I like it when: you swim with me. You are the best at: golf, and building things. I appreciate it when you: take me places. I admire the way you: smile and laugh. Everyone says you're: the best dad anyone could ever have. But most of all I: love you! FROM ALEX: (spelling by Alex) 5 Words to Describe My Father are: grat, best, osum, beter then ever, good. 2 Things my Dad Does Best Are: baseball, bilding. 2 of My Father's Favorite Things to do Are: Baseball, bilding. My Dad Really Likes it When: we play togethere. 2 Things I Want To Tell My Dad Are: I love you and I love billding and swiming with you! FROM NIKO: My Dad's name is: Father. How old is your dad: I don't know 8? 7? Dad weighs about 5 pounds and is 14 feet tall. His hair is the color of: brown. His favorite color is: black. Just for fun, he likes to: go to sleep. His favorite food is: mushed eggs. I really like it when he: comes home!

HP Golf Tournament at Camelback Golf Club

13 June 2009: I'm so thankful we had a cool spell for 2 weeks this June - so the high was only in the 90's this day! Of course, that was after 15 straight days over 100*F (a new record) in May. It's heating up again, today's high is to be 106*, plus it's a little humid since the Monsoons are about to start, maybe we'll get one before we leave next week. I love thunder-lightning storms (as long as I'm in my home and don't have to drive), and Phoenix gets the best we've seen in the world. So, back to the pics here... Brad signed us up for golfing in his company's annual golf tournament, since he says I'm such a wonderful golfer because my first time - at a resort in Mauritius - I parred my 2nd hole (he forgets it just went downhill from there). This time was my 2nd time golfing and I actually liked it. I found that I just had to whack it and not take practice swings, because I took enough "practice" swings while trying to hit the ball. :) Well, we were teamed up in 4's and the other pair is someone we knew in Denver, Mike, and his brother, Patrick, who had just had cataract surgery. We played a 4-person scramble and my ball was actually the best one a couple of times. oooh, look at that form and great concentration.... i just won't add the next pic which shows how bad the follow-through form was much better follow though.... but now I own golf clubs and I live in the land of golf courses, so I'll have lots of practice our team...

i was the golf cart driver - that was probably more fun than the golfing :)

Random golf course scenery pics...

you'd never think we live in a desert with scenery like this....

D'backs game

30 May 2009: youth baseball day with the Diamondbacks - here Niko & Alex are in the outfield at Chase Field - can you spot them? enjoying the game with Dad....

Playful Niko

22 May 2009: Niko really got into eating - I promise I really didn't paint his face with yogurt and sour cream, but I wonder how he got it all the way up to his eyes???? getting even messier?

trip to SURPRISE!

31 May 2009: trip to SURPRISE! Ok, really, it is named Surprise, AZ. I'm not sure why... maybe because it's a suprise you're still in Phoenix, maybe because it's a surprise you're next stop isn't California, maybe ???? But, it's a nice little town, and from what we've seen, quite new. It is in the North-West corner of Phoenix; we live in north Phoenix, and it took us 35 minutes to get there, just to give you an idea of the size of Phoenix, if you haven't been here. I wonder how long it would take to get from Suprise to Queen Creek in the South-East corner? I'm sure I don't want to find out. One trip to Queen Creek was enough for us. That is where our little Chihuahua Keesha is now living. Poor little pup just needed a bit more loving attention, and not the kind where Corin was trying to sit on her or George was using her for pouncing practice. Which, by the way, he is now using the rest of us for. I think he must be part Jaguar or something because he will just run up to us and bite, or attack. Crazy cat, well, maybe it also has something to do with Katie and Alex tossing him up to their ceiling fan when he was a kitten to see what he would do, and who knows what else they put him through. Ok, so back to our trip to Surprise... we went there to visit Brad's cousin Jenny. We were surprised to find out she just had a baby, we didn't even know she was pregnant! Well, we felt a bit bad since we both live in Phoenix and we hadn't even gone to visit them since Cameron (their oldest) was baptised (8 years old) last August. So, we decided it was a good time to visit.... Here we are on the drive over ... everyone is happy ... Niko kept saying "You passed it! You're driving too far!" 4 year olds do know everything... or think they do. and here is cousin Jenny with little Parker, only 8 days old. Such a cute little guy! here is Jenny, Parker, Justin (almost 2), Aunt Janet, Shane (evading the photo?), Brad & Corin. Janet's sister, Brad's mom, had just called Brad and was confused by all of the voices, so we were having fun with confusing her, but she was glad to be able to talk with her sister. Here is all of Jenny's family - such an adorable family! 5 boys and 1 girl, I foresee that Lidia will have a lot of brothers looking out for her. :) JENNY- when you get this far, e-mail me at ichbinjen@gmail.com and I'll send you the bread recipe and also the photos of your family full size since I don't have your e-mail. :)

and here is the ride home - around 9pm - an hour after bedtime, just not as happy as the drive there.... poor Corin is getting new teeth in, has sores in his mouth from falling that morning and needs his milk and rest.

at the Anthem Big Splash Waterpark

30 May 2009: Brad, Alex & Niko went to an AZ Diamondbacks baseball game, so we decided to accept our kind neighbors invitation and go with them to the waterpark at Anthem. For those of you who aren't from AZ/don't know, Anthem is a housing community north of Phoenix built by Del Webb and it includes its' own schools, parks, this awesome waterpark, and such just for the use of its residents. Our neighbors, the Bullocks, also own a home in Anthem, which they rent out, hence they can go and can also invite visitors. Corin in front of the lap and diving pool. Corin in front of the 2 slides and kids play area.

Katie and Corin at the little kids play pool with the bigger kids play area in the background.

Katie & Corin on the teeter-totter, or see-saw.

Broken Finger????

23 May 2009: does Alex have a broken finger? On 14 May at his baseball game, Alex was up to bat and we saw the ball go off a little, then noticed Alex in a bit of pain because the ball, from a machine at 35 mph, had hit his finger which was gripping the bat. We iced him up and thought he was ok, but it continued to swell and so 9 days later finally took him to the ER, which by the way, is a kid ER called Mendy's Place at the Lincoln Hospital. It was a great ER experience for a kid and the best part - we were in an out within an hour! After the X-Ray was studied, it was determined that Alex only has a bad contusion, which the nurse was so kind as to let me know is a bruise. Like I didn't know that, anyway, he was being nice and we were glad that Alex's finger wasn't broken.