Our weekend at Sedona and Grand Canyon

Saturday morning we made a quick decision (like normal :) to get away for the long weekend. We left 1 1/2 hours later and drove the 3 hours to Sedona. Its very beautiful up there. The weather was in the 70's but we had rain part of the day. We drove around a bit, then stopped at a tourist information place to find out the best places to see. We were told that all the hotels were booked in the area, but could stay one night at a resort for a cheap rate, but had to go to their time-share meeting the next day. The room we stayed in was very nice with a fireplace that we did use, as the rain kinda made it damp. Sunday after meeting, our meeting at the resort was at 12:30, but we were an hour late because of all the traffic. That meeting kinda ruined our afternoon, as it was after 4:00 before we got out of there.

After the meeting, we took a scenic drive, but didn't get too far as the traffic was bumper to bumper, just crawling. We would like to go back sometime on a normal weekend. We found out that wasn't the place to go on a long weekend! We stopped at a hiking trail head, and hiked for an hour or so. VERY beautiful.

Sunday night, we stayed at Glenn and Debbie Tenniswoods. Monday, they took us up to Grand Canyon for the day (a 2 hour drive) That was beautiful too, the pictures don't show the beauty really. We walked along the rim for a while and then hiked down a trail for a while. I really was a basket-case as they don't have railings along the path, and its straight down in places - its 4600 feet deep!! Thats a place to go with no kids :) From rim to rim, its between 8 and 16 miles across!!

Sedona









Grand Canyon

Charlottes Web - Devon's Version Chapt 9-11

His writing says "Wilber (the pig) trying to spin a web"


His writing says "Charlotte wrote on his web Some Pig"


All on his own this morning, Devon got out the playdough and created this. It is Charlottes web. Charlotte is on the right side (he even put 8 legs on it!) and the fly is on the left.

Finally some Cooler Weather!

We have enjoyed the weather the last 3 days in the 60's and 70's - a nice break from the heat. It rained yesterday and this am - only 2nd time since we got here. No plans for the long weekend as of yet anyways.

The summer reading program through the library has started - if we read 30 hours of books in the next 2 months, the kids win free tickets to a water slide park here in Tucson, so they are excited about that and we are reading alot right now. We will see how long that lasts :) There are also other prizes after reaching every 6 hours.

Sidewalk chalk has been a fun thing lately! These are a few pix taken with their neighbor friends - Zack and Emma.

Splash Park

We had a potluck on Sunday at a splash park. We just thought it was just a regular play park, so the kids didn't wear their bathing suits. But clothes worked just fine :) They had so much fun, that I took the kids there again on Monday, and even I enjoyed it. It felt great as it was 107 degrees! And it is free, so we will probably spend alot of time there through the summer. Here are some pictures of our day..

The swimming skills are getting better!

Its amazing how each hour we spend at the pool, how more relaxed Devon is getting in the water. Now, he is comfortable enough without his life jacket as long as the water is only 3 feet. He puts his face under and actually swims for 5 or 6 feet until he runs out of air. He is soo happy to be able to do that much.

Charlottes Web - Devon's Version Chapt 5-8

His words say "A fly got caught in the web"


His words say "Templeton taking the egg"

Time for some kids pictures

This is the first time that I was able to french braid Kylees hair. She was so proud of it, and she had to have some pictures of it :)

Charlotte's Web - Devons version - Chapter 1-4

I have read a few chapter books to the kids since we came here. We just started reading Charlotte's Web, which Devon is really enjoying. I thought it might be fun for him to create his own Charlotte's Web book, a fun way to finish Kindergarten for him.

In Kindergarten in MI, he had what they called "writers workshop" They would draw a picture and write a sentence about it - something that they had done or saw recently. The sentence was written on their own, with no help from the teacher as far as spelling. I think the idea was to work on sounding out words and learning to spell that way. It was marked 'good' as long as she could figure out what they had written.

I read a chapter or two every night to them before they go to bed. In the morning, Devon will do his writers workshop for what we read the night before. Here are the first 2 days work - chapters 1-4. Wilbur is the pig and Templeton is the rat in the story for those who haven't read it in a while :)


His writing says - Wilbur eating food.



His writing says - Wilbur talking to Templeton Will you be my friend

Its been two months since we left MI

Wow, time has gone pretty quickly!! Two months ago we were on the road. We sure have done alot, and seen alot in two months. I think it has been a learning experience, especially for the kids.

Pool Time

Over the last week we've had temps 100 - 107 degrees, so we have spent time everyday at the pool. The kids don't know how to swim yet - Devon has a real fear of going under. They have come along ways in a week. Even though Devon still has to have his life jacket on, he is finally starting to relax a little. Today he swam out to the 6 foot mark, and floated with the life jacket on. The first few days I had to rescue him twice, I had my clothes on and he could have put his feet down and touched! Kylee only uses waterwings now, and will go under with no floaties on. Here are some pictures..






Head Under!!


I can do that too!


Watch me mom - I can float!!!


Thats easy - Watch me mom!!

Kids Korner - May 11

Devon: I can swim with my life jacket. And I done it in the deep pool!! I love Sammy. I see lots of cactuses down here. I hope we can go swimming today. Once we had 107 degrees!! Love Devon.

Kylee: My friend Emma played at the park with us. I went swimming in the deep pool. And I drownded!! (her head went under and she sucked some water in :) I have a duckie that I float inside, and my duckie swam.

The Puzzle is Finished!

The puzzle has been done for over a week now, but just finally got to taking a picture of it. Devon loves it, and can't wait til we get a frame around it to hang in "his room". It really does look pretty in the dark too. All the white and the windows in the train glow in the dark.

A New Look!

You ARE on the right page :) I thought it was time to give our blog a new look! Having fun playing with the settings! You can do all sorts of things with this.

Time to Check In Again....

We have had a busy few weeks. Last week was convention at Casa Grande. Had a great convention!! All 4 days were in the 90's, but the air conditioning system they had really helped. Scott made it for Fri night and the weekend. We all came home pretty dirty every night, as the dirt there is like powder and everytime you take a step, the dirt poofs! We hear that if it gets windy, you get dirt in your hair and teeth and everywhere, although we didn't have that this year.

I think the summer weather is here to stay. The last two days, and all the days we can see in the forcast are all over 100 degrees!! The pool is our favorite place to be right now, and indoors in the a/c too. I am hearing of those who are starting to cut their grass and work in flower beds etc in MI, and I am feeling a little homesick. I really do enjoy doing those things and will miss it this year.

Scott received a letter that he didn't pass the vision test for depth perception for the border patrol, but was given a chance to go to an eye-dr and get retested giving results in actual numbers (I guess the test through the bp is more of a general test) He just passed that, so sending the reports in now and waiting to hear more.

He is now working with Bombardier, on a short-term contract. At evergreen, they laid a bunch more contractors off again - some were still in training!!, and rumors were going that there were more layoffs in the near future again, so he grabbed the job that he got offered at Bombardier back when Evergreen layed him off the last time. They were just going to fill the position that day when he called them back, so we were lucky on that one. He started Monday of this week, and is in training all week. His hours will be Mon-Fri 6:30 to 3:00 days!! We haven't had weekends off since Lansing!

Homeschooling isn't going so great now. Its hard to get them to sit down and do work when they want to play - although Devon loves it, home is just not a school setting for him. We do read a chapter book every night, but its hit and miss through the week for the paperwork stuff, so glad that summer vacation is almost here. Know that I don't want to do homeschooling next year now though, so hopefully we know a little more of where we will be for a longer period of time by September!