A Quiet Time

I haven't written this past week, because there hasn't been much to write about! Which is OK with us! In the last 13 years, we have lived in 3 new builds, so there was always something that needed to be done. It is actually kind of nice having a rental right now, that requires nothing from us other than maintenance! It certainly leaves us more time to enjoy going to the Parks and other fun places. And after our Dec, it is nice to just have quiet and no excitement! After all, our Feb promises to be very exciting! The Daytona Race, which we have In-Field Camping Passes! We will be inside of turn 3! We will be camping there Wed Feb 13 - Mon Feb 18. On Feb 19 my mom and dad in-laws will visit us thru March 5. Although they will be gone for a few days to go to Miami to visit friends. Feb 28 Mike and I are going on a cruise to the Bahamas. His wonderful parents have generously volunteered to babysit the kids for us. Yes, we will miss Calebs 4th Birthday. But SSHHH! we will celebrate it on the 27th, and he'll never know the difference! March 8 is Christinas photo shoot, then on the 13th is her 16 Birthday! So we are enjoying this quiet month.

Busy Weekend

On Thursday we took the kids and a friend of Christina's to IOA.

Caleb really wanted to ride "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish".

So it was their first ride. I didn't go on it because it sprays you with water.

The boys finally got brave and got their picture taken with this character. Any idea what its name is? We don't know either.

Zachary wanted his picture taken with the Grinch, but Caleb said "NO WAY" This is Sinbads 8th Voyage. Its a very neat stage show. Zachary absolutely loved the show. The fireworks scared Caleb a little bit. But he did ok.

Here we are in the Discovery Center in Jurassic Park.

We got to watch a Dinosaur hatching out of its egg.

Zachary got to name this girl dinosaur. He named her Muffin.

Caleb is 44 inches now, so he is tall enough to go on the Jurassic Park ride.

This was Zacharys first time as well. They did really good and enjoyed the peaceful boat ride.

Then at the very end you come face to face with a huge T-Rex. Just as its getting ready to eat you, the boat goes down. Down. Down. Down.

We are in the front. Wheeeee!!! When we got to the bottom, both boys burst into tears. They didn't stop crying until we got off the boat. Then all of a sudden, Zachary said, "wow that was fun, lets go again." Caleb was done tho. "NO way am I going on that Dinosaur ride AGAIN." So Mike took Zachary one more time. The pictures above are of their boat coming down. This time they sat in the back. Zachary loved the ride!

Here the boys are at the Boat Show. We went here on Friday. It was alot of fun looking at the boats but Caleb kept wanting to know when the show would start.

On Saturday Mike took the boys to the Science Center. For this week only they have video game area, with all the new game systems all the way to the original ones like Atari. They dropped Christina and I off at a hotel for a modeling audition she heard of on the radio. This was our first time going to one of these, so we weren't sure what to expect. I looked it up online and it looked legit, and free. One thing I have heard alot of is, DON'T pay for anything. The legitimate ones, do not charge. The person running it was the founder of Model Search NYC. He said that most people would not get picked. The reason they are so different from other ones is that when the other ones pick you, YOU pay $3000 - $4000 to attend the expo that modeling agencies attend, and you may, or may not get a callback. So of course they pick ALOT of people so that their cost is little to nothing, or they make a big profit. The one we are going to, they are putting on a $750,000 Expo for free. For every model they pick, THEY pay for the entire thing, not the wannabe models. So they are only going to pick the ones that they think can make it in the modeling industry. Out of about 200 people he picked 30 or so and Christina was one of them!!! She is going to a photo shoot March 8. Included in all this, NYC makes her a portfolio, and a composite card. FREE! And she gets the CD of all her photos. He asked someone in the audition how much they paid for theirs, and they said $1000!! I'm glad she is getting her start here! Thank goodness I listened to a friend of mine and my brother, and we didn't get taken for lots of money! The Expo is the last weekend of April. She will get to meet the heads of 35 top modeling agencies in the country. How exciting for her!

Go Christina!!!

Golf Fest

Saturday morning we took the boys to Golf Fest. Mikey asked Caleb if he wanted to play golf with other kids close to his age. He of course said "YES!" Zachary said "NO!"

however once we got there he wanted to play.

Every time they 'scored' they got a ticket to spin a wheel for a prize.

Zachary won a hat and Caleb won golf balls.

Here, Caleb made every 'basket'.

On the driving range.

This and another cameraman followed the boys around. But I haven't seen them in the paper.

At the tournament, Caleb and Zachary behaved like we have taught them to behave while on a golf course. The 5 year old boy that played with us however was a completely different story. He kept running around and yelling, screaming. Caleb kept looking at him and saying "He is doing No No's"

The poor kid couldn't hit his golf ball most of the time, and the dad was constantly telling him what to change, how to stand etc.

Both of our boys played a very good game.

At the end of the day the little golfers were worn out.

We only went as far as the 7th hole. The play was so slow that they were starting to get totally bored becoming wild and out of control. So we packed it up and came home.

Over all tho it was a fun day!

The kids have half days all week. I wish they'd just make the first two days full days, then just give them vacation days. Christina gets out at 9:40. Whats the point? There is no school on Friday and Monday. We were going to go camping, but it is supposed to be about 58 for the high, 41 for the low, and rainy. And the forest we were going to go to is even chillier. That is much too cold for our thin blood. So we decided to stay home. We will go to the Science Center on Sunday, and to the boat show on Saturday. Universal on Thursday. Christinas boyfriend is coming with us. Yes she has a boyfriend. They have been dating for 1 month. His name is Robbie, he is 17 and a very nice kid. Here is a picture of him and 2 other friends. He is the one in the middle. And now the fun really starts...........

Allergy Appt

On Tuesday we took Zachary to the Allergist. We were looking forward to this. We thought we might find out answers to our questions of:

1. What happened the night of Dec 2nd and why?

2. Can we eliminate the triggers and help his eczema and possible asthma go away?

I asked him to be tested for everything, and they did 2 panels instead of one. Zachary had fallen asleep while the Dr was talking to us, and asking him questions. But we had to wake him for the shots. That seemed cruel. He did very well tho. He didn't cry or wiggle. He just laid there holding his daddy's hands.

After 20 minutes here are the results:

There are only 2. They are 4 and 5. 4 is a pollen, and 5 is Bermuda grass.

That's it. We don't even have Bermuda here, but we did in Phx.

Nothing else. And even these reactions were on the mild side.

We were floored! I was sure that there had to be SOMETHING significant

that he was allergic too.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad he's not allergic to anything, but I really hoped we find the trigger, eliminate it, and he would be all better!

The Dr talked with us for about 20 min about eczema, asthma, and Reactive Airflow Disease. The only thing is, he didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I have done so much research these past few months. I must of done quite a good job!

At least now we know that the eczema is caused internally rather than externally.

So although we kind of feel like we are back at square one, I've already made alot of changes. I've changed my cleaning solutions, I change how I clean and when. I watch the daily pollen count and keep a close eye on him during high pollen days. Now I am going to try changing our diet around a bit. I already have gotten rid of red dye, and am eliminating processed foods, and sugars. I'm next eliminating yeast. Eczema and excessive amounts of yeast are connected, and maybe by eliminating yeast, we can control it better.

Any way, it cant hurt.

On Saturday, Mike has signed Caleb up for a peewee golf tournament. Ages 6 and under. Zachary wanted nothing to do with it. Caleb carries around the brochure all day and tells me "I'm gonna play golf on Saturday and Daddy's my caddie."

He's just a LITTLE excited!

Christina, Zachary and I will stand on the side lines and cheer!

Go Caleb!

We are HOME!!

We had a great time on our visit back to Phoenix!

The boys were great on the flights there and back. Zachary slept the entire way to Phx, and slept halfway on the flight home. Then he colored the rest of the way home.

Caleb stared out his window until all he could see was the ocean, then he slept until we made our descent into Phoenix. He watched out his window the entire time. Once we landed he did NOT want to get off the plane. He cried and said, "its not fair, I want to stay on the plane!" I literally had to drag him thru the airport. On the return trip he kept saying over and over again, "this is so fun, I love to fly."

When we got to my gramma Anns the next evening we heard a knock at the door and it was Santa Claus! The boys actually didn't cry this time!We all got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what we wanted. Christina wished for a I-phone, but Santa said they were out of stock.The boys asked for toys. Caleb was truly thrilled to see Santa and sit on his lap! Zachary acted thrilled too. Then he got off Santa's lap and walked over to Mikey, and said "That Santa's a FAKE!" As you all know we go to the "Duck Hotel" about 10 times a year. It is in Sedona and is actually called "Radisson Poco Diablo Resort". Every Christmas we stay there and see the light display they put on at Los Abrigatos. Its pretty spectacular. We decided to go there on the 23rd-24th. Christina was at her dads.

This is the we call it the "Duck Hotel"

In the middle of the resort is an executive 9 hole golf course. This is Caleb's favorite thing about the hotel. Here he is using his putter on the green. It went in the hole! This is a Par 27 course. Mikey kept a legitimate score card for Caleb, and he ended up with a 44. He's 3!!! Once he gets the short game down, this kid is going to be unstoppable! This is the hole that Caleb got his first Par!! This hole is 65 yards and he made it in 3!! He teed off, hit his ball on the fairway about 50 yards, then chipped it to this spot in the picture, then he putted it in from here! Mikey's shot was ALMOST a hole in one! Good job boys!!On Christmas Eve we went to Gramma Ginny's and Papa Bills House. The kids love playing grammas organ just as much as I did as a kid! This is also why Papa Bill takes out his hearing aids when we are there! What a beautiful family! Here's my niece Elektra playing with her new toys. She is just starting to walk! Christmas morning at Uncle Bruce's house! Santa came and left a few small toys, and a note that said he had left the big stuff at our home in Florida. Our Family at Mama Ann's Christmas morning. Our tradition is to go to Grammas in our pajamas. Makes it easier to wake up and go, and its so much more comfy.

We had a great Christmas and got a lot of really great gifts. Christmas Dinner was at my moms, but we had to eat and run since Mike had to catch his flight back home. At the airport, Mike was driving, and was trying to drop himself of on the south side so I would be able to easily make my way to my Uncles house. I may have lived in AZ all my life, but navigating the airport is still something I haven't mastered. After driving around a couple of times trying to get into the drop off zone, (you actually have to go to the 44th st exit to get to the south drop off point)he just stopped on the south side near a sign that said "Shuttle service" He stopped before the lines, and behind the sign. We no sooner opened our doors when a policeman pulled behind us with lights flashing. He opened his door, ticket book in hand, pen in the other. He walked up, and without even saying a word took down the license plate number. Mike and I asked what he was doing. He said we were illegally parked. We tried to explain why we were there and said if he would tell us how to get into the drop off zone, we'd be more than happy to go to it. He didn't say a word. At that point I told Mike to just get his stuff and go, no point in missing his flight. Then I said some choice words to the officer, ripped the ticket out of his hand, got in the car and sped away. Ive gotten plenty of tickets before, and I deserved every one of them, but this one really ticked me off because I don't think we deserved it! Christmas Night, the boys are crying because Daddy's leaving, we couldn't figure out how to get into the drop off zone, there is NO sign that says NO PARKING. He couldn't just tell us we need to move our car? What a jerk.

Mom, Frank, Christina, the boys and I drove to Flagstaff. We stayed at the Little America. Its a quaint hotel built the year I was born. My dad worked security for them while it was being built. The next day we drove out to our old houses. Here is the trailer my parents bought when they got married. First it was in Gila Bend, then they bought the land here and set it up. This is the house that my mom, dad and many family members built in 76. The upstairs window was the room I grew up in. When we first built this house these trees were tiny, and you could see the entire house. This is the back of it. The people there have the wood treated alot darker than what we had it. I saw someone looking out the window, so I figured I better explain what I was doing there and why I'm taking pictures of their house. When they found out who we were, they opened their doors and let us go in! It was so neat to see the changes, and the things that were still the same. All the light fixtures were unchanged. Even some of the old tile is still in the laundry room. They also still have the same stove we had. Hello its Gold!!! It was fun sharing our stories of growing up there with the kids that live there now! They have like 6 kids! The girls had my room and they boys have my brothers room! One of the trees in our fort recently fell down. It was really neat and brought back some wonderful memories. We drove up to the San Francisco Peaks. We were planning on going up to Sno-Bowl, but it started snowing, and although moms truck would be OK, Frank had driven his little Saturn, and we didn't want to get stuck just in case. Good thing we didn't either. The boys played all of 5 minutes before the crying started. They liked walking thru it until they had to walk back. They cried the entire way back. Caleb had fun throwing snowballs, but Zachary and Christina didn't like getting hit, so he mostly threw them at me and Uncle Owwie. After Flagstaff we stopped in Sedona for some much missed Mexican food. The Mexican food in Orlando is nothing like our beloved Mexican food in Phx. We really miss it!

Ahhhh... back into the warmth! I needed a vehicle of my own to get around in, so I rented this red comfortable. The boys LOVED the top down. If they had their way I would never of put it up! But the evenings were just too chilly for me and Christina! We got to hang out with Ursula and her kids for an evening. It was a nice evening catching up. We also got to hang out with an old friend of mine--Shannon-- and Ursula's from grade school! But I forgot to get a picture of her. :( On New Years Eve Christina and I left the boys with my brother and drove to Palm Springs CA to spend a few days with Morey and his boys, Lakota and Dustin. (Dad2, you remember them as Chief) The last time we saw them was Sept 06. Lakota was easily a head shorter than Christina. Now look at him!! We had a great time there, and they showed us the sights of downtown Palm Springs which is full of Hollywood History. The kids and I visited with more family and friends until we had to come home Sat morning. I was wondering how I would feel about coming back to Florida and leaving AZ again, but I was truly looking forward to it. Mike and I had never been apart for more than a week, and this was 10 days. About 9 too long for both of us! We are very happy to be back home.

When we walked in the door the kids saw their Christmas Santa presents in the living room. It took them all of 2 minutes to tear apart all the toys and spread them all over the living room.

They each got what they really wanted! A play kitchen set for Zachary, and a BIG jet for Caleb.

Happy New Year to Everyone. May 2008 be a wonderful year for all of us!