Fantasy Worlds...

This last weekend we had a draft party at our house for the Horizon Fantasy Football team Brian and I play on. It is the third season we will be doing this and it's really a lot of fun! It was great seeing all these friends that I see only a few times a year. Here is a shot of some of the draft action:

I feel really good about the team I put together...we'll see if that changes after the season starts!

Thomas was so helpful during the day, putting out napkins and plates, bringing in groceries, etc. We thought he was done helping, when he called us in to see the "cool football tower" he had erected (this is what happens when our little T is focused)...

We loved it!

And finally in other fantasy news....Thomas built a car for two....and Amber made a huge, but fun playdoh mess =) All in all, a very fun weekend.

New Dancing Shoes!

Amber loves all things girly and has been talking about ballerinas lately so it seemed like a good time to try out a dancing class. She is going to start a weekly dance class at Little Gym where she'll do a little tap, ballet and gymnastics. We went shopping today (as girls like to do) and got her shoes and a leotard. She is in LOVE with the outfits!

By the way, the "I'm wishing, I'm wishing" she sings at the beginning is from Snow White =) and I lose her at the end to her Daddy arriving home. "Surprise!"

And here she is in ballet shoes:

Back to School!

Everybody made it off to school today without a hitch. We were a little nervous because Thomas stood in the hall for the first 15 minutes of "Meet the Teacher" night. I thought he might do the same this morning but he went right on in. We now have a first grader, fourth grader and a seventh grader - yikes!

For the first time, Sam has two great friends in his class. Right now they all sit at the same table - I'm hoping it stays that way but I won't be surprised if there's a change before the weekend =)

Michael also has his first day of football practice after school. They are all growing up so (in my head, read "too") fast. I hope they come home happy!!

Vacation!!!

We had a wonderful 11 day vacation. We travelled over 3200 miles from Houston to Phoenix, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Albuquerque (ever so briefly) and back. It was so FUN!

I tried to capture a little of everything so here we go (click on the pics to view larger)....

Phoenix - family, cousins, water park, swimming, Chuck E Cheese and a Diamondbacks game..

Then we headed to Sedona with my sister's family and stopped for a picnic by a lake near Prescott...

The next day we headed to Slide Rock near Sedona for sliding, jumping and another picnic...

The following day my sister's family headed back to Phoenix and we did some hiking and jeeping - Sedona is gorgeous!

Then we headed up to the Grand Canyon on our way to Lake Powell.

Lake Powell was breathtaking...it's a man-made lake. The Colorado River is slowed and backed up into canyons by the Glen Canyon Dam. The lake is 500 ft. deep at some points. It has well over 100 miles of coastline (lakeline?) and we saw a very small part of it but loved every bit. You can beach your boat for camping, hiking, etc. It's very much a houseboat lake.

We all tubed and Brian, Michael and I skied. Michael actually learned to ski here, it was his first time up! Brian likes to slalom and I was happy to just make it up and ski a little since I haven't skied since I was pregnant with Michael. All had fun!

After Lake Powell, we started heading back to home with a short stop in Old Town in the middle of Albuquerque. I have of family history in the area and lived there for a year when I was little so this was a neat stop for me...

Now we are home, getting ready for school, sports, football (fantasy and reality). Life is good =)

Photo Op!

So both my sister and I have 3 boys and a girl, the girls being our youngest. When we get a chance we like to snap a few pictures of them dressed alike and at this age they still indulge us =)

A year ago...

and this year...

Cousins - we love 'em!

We are in Phoenix visiting my sister and her family. 2 kiddos were napping but I managed to snap this picture at a neighborhood park.