The Racer!

Daddy built a car to race in the inaugural Grand Prix of Scottsdale. Mia was a great helper in designing the car, and couldn't wait to hop in and figure out how she was going to reach the pedals!

Always Love the Snuggle!

Nothing beats a Sunday afternoon snuggle!!

Mia the Mechanic

Mia is not only an amazing skate boarder and dirt biker rider, but she has become quite the accomplished mechanic! When Daddy bought her a RZR dune buggy a few months back, he promised to buy her any upgrade she wanted, with one caveat: she had to do all the work herself.  Well, lo and behold, she has done it!  She literally installed a full custom suspension, racing seats, bumper, etc.  She is one amazing kid!

Arizona State Fair!

It has become a family tradition to take the kids to the State Fair every October!  It is totally trashy and filthy, and nothing but fun...  This year we got caught in the biggest monsoon rain storm of the year and ran around soaking wet, splashing in puddles and having the greatest day!!  Raising children is truly an amazing gift and definitely the highlight of my life.

Movie Night!

I'm not sure if you can even decipher this picture, but it's basically a mass of sleeping children! Friday night has become Movie Night in the basement of our new house.  It's an awesome night of quality family time, but always ends with Mommy & Daddy carrying a whole bunch of big kids up the stairs to their beds...  They are getting so heavy!

Papa Visit!

We took a quick day trip down to see Grammy & Papa in Tucson.  Mia's favorite thing in the world is going to the dog park with Papa!  She insists on going every time, as soon as we arrive.  She still has a huge love for dogs!

Weird...

Ok, this picture was just too funny not to share! As I was walking down the hall the other day I see Mia, with the door wide open, just hanging out on the toilet watching a movie...  Wow!!

Incentives...

Funny what motivates a child!  Brandon isn't the most diligent of students. Yet, after he was told that Sprinkles Cupcakes offers a free cupcake to any child who brings in a quiz with a perfect score, he immediately scored a 10 on a quiz...  Uncanny the timing!!

New Dirt Bike!

Mia has officially outgrown her first dirt bike, a CRF 50.  So this past weekend we picked out a new bike for her, a CRF 110, along with a whole lot more safety gear.  She was so proud and couldn't wait to get home and practice!  Likely no one is more proud than Daddy...

Tubby Time!

There are some things the kids just refuse to outgrow, thankfully!  Tubby time is one of them.  In the new house they have taken to Mommy & Daddy's tub and are fond of building a bubble empire...  Thank heavens for the strategically placed bubbles!

Texas Wedding!

 We went to San Antonio for Mommy's cousin David's wedding!  The kids actually love dressing up. Well, all except for Mia...  After forcing her into a dress we were able to get a decent family photo.  And then there is Mr. Dapper!  During the dinner portion of the wedding he danced with his cane and top hat and literally entertained the entire wedding...  The boy is crazy, but sure loves entertaining!

Taylor Swift!

Daddy got a suite for the girls to enjoy their first concert ever, Taylor Swift!  The kids had an absolute blast and Mommy even had cute matching shirt made.  What an experience!

Little Sleeping Bubba!

Well, it sure didn't take long for little Bubba to prove he learned from his Daddy!  he has fallen asleep at his desk almost every day in his first week.  He nods off especially quickly in French class. When we asked him why, he said that it's the teacher's fault for speaking in a language he can't understand!! Priceless...

First Day of School!!!!!!!!!!!

Our kids are officially no longer little... The Twins started Kindergarten today!!!  Mia was such a great big sister helping them get into their uniforms and tie their shoes.  It was so sweet seeing them all off on their first day!  The time goes so quickly...

Late Summer is Hot!!

Around this time of year the heat starts to get a little old...  We recognize we were lucky to be able to get away for quite a bit of it, but it sure would be nice to have a little cool down!  A long day of swimming helps cool things off.  Almost time for school to start again!

Summer in Cali

Last year we decided our annual week in Carlsbad wasn't enough...  So we spent 2 weeks at the beach this year and it was amazing!  Mia spent long days at the Encinitas skate park, followed by digging at the beach, evening walks and a whole lot of lounging.  This is always our favorite vacation of the year, and is unanimously our favorite family vacation destination!  We're always sad to leave...

Nap Time!

While Mia grew out of her afternoon naps when she was about 2 years old, the Twins show absolutely no interest in moving on from that phase of life...  This is the usual picture in the rearview mirror if we drive anywhere between 2:00-5:00 daily!  Pretty impressive.

Rough Life!

Mr. Marshall, aka the happiest dog on Earth, has really settled into the new home quite nicely!  He knows exactly where to lay to get maximum sun exposure throughout the day, and can often be found snoring away spread eagle style...  Rough life!

Goodbye Ritz!

The Ritz Carlton in Phoenix is closing this month, so Momma decided to take the Twins for one final Teddy Bear Tea!  Josie joined in on all the tea and sweets fun...

Wyoming Critters!

For the 4th of July we were lucky enough to be invited up to a friend's ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  The kids played outside along the river, and fished until they couldn't stand up...  We saw an elk in the river, and a beaver building a dam.  But the greatest highlight for little Aubs was when we captured a mouse who had been spotted in the kitchen. The old cheese trick actually works!  She was obsessed and wanted to take him home.  Ummm, no!

Hey, Mr. Space Man!

Sometimes that boy of ours is just too stinking cute! He found a space suit in a shop at the Xmas amusement park and absolutely had to have it.  Boy was he not kidding when he said he'd truly wear it...  For the next 3 days he wouldn't take it off!  He wore it to restaurants, to walk around town, and even to sleep! He sure caused quite a stir wherever he went. Utterly adorable!

Colorado Visit!

Daddy had to go to Colorado for work, so since it was summer time we figured we'd take the whole family! We had tons of fun visiting Taylor, enjoyed an outside festival in the Springs, some breweries in Fort Collins, and even visited a Christmas themed amusement park at Pikes Peak. (Hey, it seemed like the proper Jewish thing to do!)  The kids were crazy and fun as always!

Skate Rat!!

So Aubrey has officially decided that her girlie princess days are done, and she wants to be like Big Sis Mia!  Only, she functions just a bit differently...  So after Momma signed her up for a summer skate camp, she gathered all the teenage boys together for a little quality 'all about me' time, while Mia practiced her skating!  Yep, this one ain't gonna be easy...

Summer in Flagstaff!!

Our usual summer RV trip didn't start out so well...  With a record high of 117 degrees, the generator didn't want to cooperate.  Frankly, at that temperature, who would?!  So we ditched the RV, grabbed a hotel room, and headed North for a long weekend in Flag.  It was so much fun!!  Summer in the mountains is heaven on Earth for kids.  We visited Bearizona, like we do every year, took the kids fishing and played every morning on the NAU campus. There is nothing like quality family time!

Sugar Crazy!

Somebody sure does like lots of toppings on her ice cream!!  The sugar monster...

Free Fallin!

For the start of summer break Momma took the kids to an indoor skydiving place in Eloy, Arizona!  They absolutely loved it, as you can tell from the big grins...

Molly Visit!!!!

Molly & Kenny flew in from NJ for a quick visit this week.  Molly & Mia were born one day apart, and shared a crib in their orphanage in China!  We all became very close during the adoption process in China, and we make sure to get together whenever possible.  It's so amazing to see the young ladies they've grown into, and their incredible little personalities!  We are damn lucky to have them in our lives...

Gangsta!

Brandon & Aubrey are really enjoying Mommy & Daddy's new tub!  The other evening they were screaming for Daddy to get his phone and snap some photos of them being 'tough'...  Pretty badass!

Mommy & Daddy!!

Mommy & Daddy don't make the blog too often, for the simple reason that Mommy & Daddy don't get photographed together very much!  We're usually feeding, bathing, disciplining or loving our kids...  So this past weekend was a treat when we slipped away for a quick adults only trip to Vegas to celebrate D'Anna's 40th birthday!  Momma looked ravishing as always, and definitely deserved a little R&R.

The Boxer!

Mommy & Daddy took up boxing last year as a fun way to get some serious cardio! Mia tagged along a time or two, and is now absolutely obsessed...  She gets seriously angry if she finds out either of us went boxing without her!  Here she is boxing her friend Ava.  The kid is tough.

Boating!

Rob & Nancy were kind enough to invite us up to their boat on Lake Pleasant for a day of sun & tubing!  The kids had an absolute blast getting dragged around behind the boat, and now are lobbying for us to get a boat...  Just what we need!

Memorial Weekend Movie Night!

For Memorial Weekend we decided to stay in town and enjoy our new digs!  On Saturday night we invited over a few families, and Daddy constructed a movie theater in the back yard.  It turned out to be perfect weather, and the kids all lounged on blankets engrossed in the Lego Movie, while the adults enjoyed some quality time and cocktails!  A memorable and relaxing weekend...

Desert Rats!

Mia & Daddy have been heading out to the desert to race dirt bikes for the past few years!  Mia has gotten extremely fast, and loves to spend her Saturdays in the desert.  So a few weeks back, Mommy & the Twins announced they wanted to join us...  Without hesitation, got them a fully caged dune buggy of their own, and early Saturday morning we all headed off for a day of romping in the desert! The 'before' photo, above, shows how excited everyone was as we headed out bright and early.  The 'after' photo shows just how hot and tiring a few hours in the desert can be!  Nothing made Daddy more proud than seeing his whole clan playing in the sand...

Cousins Visit!

Auntie Caren & Uncle Pat came to visit with their kids this past weekend.  Our kids act like Santa is coming when they know the cousins are on their way for a visit...  It was a super fun weekend, Aubs got some quality snuggle time with Auntie Caren!

Summertime!

Hard to believe, but school is out for the Twins!!  They graduated Pre-K already, and will be joining big sister Mia at Veritas this next year, as Kindergartners...  They are extremely excited to be big kids, and Momma's excited only drive to and from one school each day!

Cuties!

There's no story with this photo.  Just a damn cute picture of the twinkles!

Kitchen Tubby?!?!

And now, for the truly strange!  The Twins lean slightly towards the weird side...  We prefer to think of them as entertainers.  Daddy made the joke that the Twins should take a tubby in the kitchen sink like they were babies again.  Moments later they had stripped naked, donned their sun glasses, and were scrubbing away!  Yep, just plain weird...

Happy Momma's Day!!

For Momma's Day, Mia & Momma climbed Squaw Peak to start the morning!  Mia can now go anywhere Momma goes, from hiking to boxing...  Followed by brunch at home, some swimming & lounging, and dinner at the Phoenician.  Was a truly relaxing day for our Momma who is so selfless and loving.  She deserves the rare break!

Duck Pond!

The other morning we awoke to find the Twins out back feeding a duck who was swimming around in our pool like he was in a pond... They thought they had a new pet!

The Snuggler!

Brandon has become quite the ladies man!  He's always been quite the entertainer, but lately he's been learning to work his magic on the ladies...  And I'm not kidding!  Where ever we go, he will always spot the prettiest girl in the room, and within moments be on her lap, or holding her hand.  It's quite entertaining.  Especially when Mia's friends come over!  Here is a photo from this weekend.  Mia's best friend, Kiera, came over to watch a movie.  Where was Bubba?  Of course he was canoodling with Kiera on her bean bag chair.  Even had her rubbing his belly...  That's Daddy's boy!!