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...