Breakers Water Park

As a reward for reading 30 hours through the summer reading program, the kids received free tickets from the library to Breakers Water Park. We went on Tuesday the 21st with Donna Lennox and her kids. The kids had a blast, even though there were only 2 waterslides that they were tall enough for. There was also a kiddie splash area, and a huge wave pool that we could float on our tubes. Was a fun day!


Kayhoni, Kylee


Devon, Tyler (notice Devon screaming - he would scream all the way down, but came out laughing)






the wave pool


Just chillin

Hoover Dam

Well, Scott got the camera back together enough that I could get the pictures off my sticks, but the lens won't extend out, and you can't take any more pictures with it, so we know for sure that we have to buy a new one now. I have found a few of the same camera on ebay. They are used but I think that's what we will do, as it really does take good pictures, we have had it for almost 7 years and we have never had a problem with it, but Sony doesn't make it anymore. We have seen pictures from other digitals that aren't near as good of pictures and have higher megapixels. We think its the lens that is so good on this one. I am just really going to miss having one for a week!

So.. I am glad I was able to get these pictures off. Here is Hoover Dam. The kids and I stopped here for an hour, on our way back from Wisconsin. It was 122 degrees when we were walking along there!! What a welcome back to Arizona! Then, when we got in the van and climbed the ridge to the top, it dropped to 116 degrees. The Hoover Dam is right on the Nevada/Arizona border. They claim it to be the most famous dam in the world, rising 600 feet above the Colorado River.




This is the river from the upper side of the dam.


This is the wall that holds the water. You can't even get close to the actual size in the picture.


These are the generators at the bottom.


Here, you can see the bridge that they are building over the dam. It is to open in 2011.

Updates....

Had a few more pictures to post from on our way home (we stopped at Hoover Dam - it was 122 degrees down where you walk!! - That was quite a welcome back to the south) ... but they still are on the camera stick and Scott took the camera apart - its on the table right now in about 50 pieces :( Don't think its going back together. He took it apart to get a little wee fuzzy off the inside of the lens, and the further into it that he got, the more stuff he had to take apart to get to the lens, so I have a feeling that I will be camera shopping soon. Just can't do without a camera :)

Devon lost his first tooth last night (again I need my camera :) He was soo excited. It was just hanging, and while laying in bed he just pulled it out. So... he just couldn't sleep for his excitement! The adult tooth was already through about 2 weeks ago, behind the baby one.

In AZ, it's now the monsoon season. It is really humid and later in the day, almost every day, we get real dark clouds and thunder/rain storms. It usually gets real windy too. Most days now, the heat is anywhere's between 95 and 110 (a few days more than that). The humid makes it feel hot enough that you really don't want to be outside.

Devon has been accepted at a charter school - just 1/4 mile from where we live. Charter schools are free, but there is more parent involvement - volunteering etc (which I really enjoy doing), more variety in the curriculum such as music/arts/field trips etc. that you don't get in most public schools down here. The class sizes are alot smaller (1st and 2nd grade together in his school) There is more one on one, which they tell me that they can cater more to each students situation. This will be good for Devon, as he loves to be challenged and be busy all the time. He is really excited and is counting down the days. 8 more days he tells me today :) Aug 3rd seems too early to start to me, but he can't wait.

We have finally started hearing from the Border Patrol again. They are working on his background check - at least the Harrisville part so far. They have been emailing Scott the last few days with more questions, and want a few more references. So at least we know now, that we are still in the process and they haven't forgotten about us. Still could be a while though.

We will renew our lease next month here at the apartment. No news from Kalitta up in MI, so we are getting someone to start working on a couple of things that need to be done on the exterior of our house, that needs to be done if we do put it on the market. Won't do that for a couple of months anyways. I will need to get up there first, and spend some time finishing what we had going on the interior, but limited to Devons school schedule now.

At Grandma and Grandpa Skilbred's House

We had a great two weeks at Grandma and Grandpas in Wisconsin. The kids got to do so many special things - helping Grandma cook, listening to many, many stories, picking peas and raspberrys whenever they thought it sounded good, playing on the swings, playing ping pong, using Grandmas sewing machine, having a sleep-over and a whole day with Ryan Stein, swimming at the pool/waterslide in Holmen, sleeping on grandmas bedroom floor at night WOW - what a list!! They will remember all those fun things for a long time, I think!!

Cleo helped Devon find a rabbits nest, with really tiny babies in it, and Devon was enthralled with those baby rabbits! He also found a baby bluebirds nest, and grandma found him with a handful of baby bluebirds :) Devon also enjoyed the time Joel and Ben spent with him on the tractor, and playing frizbee.

We all enjoyed 2 more bonfires with weiner/marshmellow roasts. I had a special day with Rebecca - we went hiking up the bluff in Perrot State Park. It was beautiful weather and was great to see all the beautiful GREEN. I really miss that in Arizona.

Was great to see everyone again! Hopefully it works out again next summer, if not before.












With the Baby Bunny

Canoeing at Perrot State Park

Ok, I am a "little" behind on the blog, so hopefully this weekend, I can catch up.

On Sunday evening, and Monday the 6th, Dewey and Adina came up to Holmen to see us. We had a great time with them. As a last minute thought, they decided to bring along their canoe, and we were so glad they did. It was such a peaceful, beautiful day to be out on the water. The kids really enjoyed it. Devon decided that he really knew how to steer the boat (although I think Dewey was helping out more that Devon believed) And Kylee tried to paddle a little, but after we rescued her paddle a couple of times, we decided it best to just keep it in the boat, and she could dangle her hands in if she wanted.








Beautiful Wisconsin

Fireworks and Bonfire on 4th of July

More cousin time!! We spent 4th of July with Kevin and Heidi and family, Rebecca and Paul, Mark and Grandma and Grandpa Skilbred. Was a fun-filled day. Bonfire, fireworks, S-Mores, and just great family-time. The cousins got along great and were happy for another day spent together, as you can see from the picture below :)

At Grandma and Grandpa Baxter's House

Back at Grandma and Grandpas house we all had fun too. We spent Tuesday and Wednesday there. I helped my mom peel off the wallpaper in the living room and dining room, and get it ready for the new wallpaper. The kids had a blast taking off the first layer of paper. Devon, as usual, loves jobs and always asks what he can do to help. So he happily pulled wallpaper, and filled the garbage bags with the scraps. Kylee helped once in a while too.

The rest of the time was spent with the kittys and dog, riding bikes, a four wheeler ride, and picking strawberries. Kylee loved playing with Grandmas “babies” – the dolls. Devon asked Grandma if one kitten had a name. It didn’t yet, and Grandma told Devon he could pick a name for him. Devon decided on Barny – as he lives on Grandpa’s farm and Grandpa has a barn so Barny sounded good to him :)

Our trip to Guelph

On Friday morning, we made the quick decision to make the trip to Guelph to see the rest of my family. So, we quickly packed, and left shortly after lunch on Friday. We took my mom with us and stayed at my sisters Shelley and Scotts place. The cousins hadn’t seen each other for almost a year, but they quickly made friends, and had a ton of fun with each other. We met my brother Mike and Rachel, Avery and Tayah, and my brother Ron at the African Lion Safari. That was a real neat place to go. You drive your own vehicles through one area of the park, and the animals come right up to your vehicle!! Devon really loved the monkeys – they climbed all over the truck he was in. His words later very excitedly “they even peed on the mirror of our truck mom!” When you tap your finger on the window, the emus come right up and tap the outside of the glass with their beaks and chew as if they were actually fed! We saw zebras, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, lions, tigers, cheetahs, wildebeasts, deer, cows and more in the area that you drive through. There was an elephant show, a climbing jungle gym, a huge splash park, ice cream and lots of fun! On Sunday, we also got to see Great Grandma Mose, and my Aunt Colleen. We left on Monday after lunch. Some of the cousins even cried as they had so much fun together and didn’t want to be seperated. We will have to get together again soon.


All the cousins

SURPRISE!!!

I found some $29 tickets to Appleton!! So, we made a quick decision to make our summer vacation trip for a week at Grandma and Grandpas in Ontario and a week to Grandma and Grandpas in Wisconsin. I was also able to find a great deal on a rental car, so it made it possible to surprise Grandma and Grandpa Baxter.

And what a surprise it was!! We arrived here on Thursday night just shortly after they went to bed. We were hoping to catch them just before they went, but the timing just didn’t work out. But at least we didn’t wake them. The look on Grandmas face was sooo worth the traveling :) I think she was shocked to see us at her door! The kids thought surprising them was so much fun. They could hardly contain themselves, especially when we were driving down their road – they were so excited and squealing, and practically jumping out of their seats!! A couple of times on the trip they wanted to call her, “but we won’t say what we are doing” but I didn’t think that they would be able to hold it in. :)

Here are a couple of pictures taken on our way here


Sunset we saw on our way to the airport


In the airplane


Devon was fascinated by the clouds - they were really poofy this time