Our Happy Halloween

We did not decorate or do much to celebrate Halloween since everything is packed and ready to go.  I splurged and got a cute new autumn tablecloth, but otherwise we were very uncelebratory this year. 
However, we did find out that shopping that night is AMAZING!  All the stores were empty, and we made the rounds to Sam's Club, Costco, 2 Wal-mart's and Home Deopt to purchase boxes and packing supplies.  Choke. Gasp. Cough. Weep.  It's an ugly way to spend money, but we want our stuff to get across three states safely.

On a brighter note, how adorable are these trick~or~treaters?

Paige - Pocohantas
Claire - Rapunzel
Reese - Ariel, The Little Mermaid

Dylan - Ironman
Luke - Red Power Ranger
Austin - Policeman

Blake - "the other Ironman"
Kaylee - "a cute witch"

Skye - cutest little penguin ever!
She's Cody Maverick from Surf's Up

Almost 9 months old, Lincoln is the world's cutest pirate!

Craig is Retired!

It's official, Craig retired on September 20th.  

Here is a nice article written for the Local 47 IBEW Newsletter. I love these pictures!

It's Been Awhile

It has been a crazy summer and fall for us, finding out by accident our rental home was being sold out from under us a year earlier than planned.  Everything has truly worked out for the best, however, and we truly feel the Lord's hand guiding us through this crazy process of retirement and purchasing a new home in Cedar City, Utah.

Timing is usually not our friend when it comes to real estate.  We usually buy high and sell low!  This time, we have been blessed with an affordable home in a beautiful place at a low interest rate. We are grateful.

I am going to be better at updating the blog so we can stay in better touch!

Mayor Don Landes

My Dad is running for his second term as Mayor of Parowan, Utah.  This week he was interviewed on the Fox 13 TV News about the new welcome sign that was just installed. Click on the link below, then click on the arrow in the center of the picture.  The commercial is just a few seconds long before the interview begins.

 

http://fox13now.com/2013/06/13/new-signs-welcome-residents-to-southern-utah-town/

A Visit from Arizona

Jamie called and asked if we were up for company and of course we said YES! A few days later she arrived with Blake and Kaylee for the week while Ben worked on a paper for his class.  Melissa's boys weren't out of school until Wednesday, and on Tuesday I had already planned to watch Austin while Melissa helped in Dylan's class.  So we decided to go to the Disney Store for a quick adventure.  Austin wanted Aunt Jamie to spike his hair too!

 Blake is just 6 months older than Austin. They had so much fun together.  I love it that they are cousins and have the exact opposite coloring.  Such sweet boys!

As soon as we walked into the mall, eagle-eyed Blake spotted the train on the 2nd level, and he remembered we went for a train ride when they were here in December.  Of course, we had to take another trip so Austin could join them.

The conductor was dressed appropriately and was cute with the
 kids taking their tickets and using all the fun train lingo.

 

Jamie got to be the responsible adult this time, so I got to take pictures.



Blake LOVES trains, so he was in heaven. 

Kaylee was so sweet with Austin.  All the Gargalis boys' wanted her all for themselves. At one point Luke slammed his bedroom door as he shouted " I'm having some alone time with Kaylee!"

The one picture we got of all 5 cute cousins. The boys had matching iron man shirts and Kaylee had worn her new Disney Store shirt the day before.  It is getting a lot trickier to find matching sizes for everyone.

On Friday we took the kids to see the new movie "epic".  It was really cute and the kids were great.  Blake lasted almost the entire movie.   Blake ate4 an impressive amount of popcorn and Kaylee enjoyed her slurpee and Grampa's soda.

 We arrived at the movie an hour early (the theater changed times for the weekend). We killed time at Target and then took a few pictures and let the kids play and get their wiggles out.

 

 The Theater at Corona Crossings has the most gorgeous fountains. I want one at my next house. Maybe a little smaller.  It is so pretty and it was such a lovely day, it made me want to just stay and sit and read a book. . .

 

 

crazy faces
 

We've been having daily visits from the Gargalis boys since their move in April, so now that school is out and Jamie and the kids are back home in Arizona, it is VERY quiet here!

 

3 Month Old Lincoln

 

 

Krista sent this picture of Lincoln with the split screen at 2 months and 3 months. He's lost that newborn look.

 

Josh put this cute picture on facebook of Lincoln watching basketball.

 

Krista sent a few more pictures the next day

 It's all I can do not to hop in the car and make that 6 hour drive to Monterey.  He is such a cute little boy!

School's Out for Summer!

The last day of Preschool was May 23.  Melissa took this picture of our class first thing that morning.  [Arianna, Carson, Gwen, Austin, Mason, Amani and Tori] All but 2 are headed to Kindergarten in August.  I'm hoping for enough sign ups to have one more class this fall before moving to Idaho next year.  I'm still not quite ready to hang up my shingle.

Kaylee and Blake shared the same last day of school with me.  Kaylee got several awards.  She has become quite the reader already.  It amazes me how advanced kindergarten has become.  Kaylee attended kindergarten in  DeRidder, Louisiana and Sierra Vista, Arizona
 

The Idaho Girls were out of school the last week in May.  Rebecca texted me this cute picture of thier first shaved ice of the summer.  Paige just completed 2nd grade and Claire completed kindergarten.  Reese is excited to go to Mrs. Ririe's preschool next year like her big sisters did.  This picture makes me so homesick for them.

I got to join Melissa for Luke's first grade awards assembly.  He is an excellent student!

After Luke's assembly, we went to Dylan's kindergarten promotion.  Two classes put on a darling program with lots of cute songs. 

 

Dylan with his wonderful kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Alvarez.



I can't leave out darling Skye, even though she's not in school.This is the latest picture of her taking her Dad to lunch.

 

Here's a better picture of Skye with one of her little pals.

WRESTLEMANIA WITH UNCLE JOSH

Uncle Josh is the best! And a visit is never complete without some wrestling and a little 3 against 1.

Josh is pulling in an unsucpecting victim by the leg

  

Austin keeps coming back for more

PRECIOUS COUSINS

To say that Melissa's boys were cute with thier baby cousin is a huge understatement.

Meeting new cousin Lincoln for the first time.

I love Austin's face.  Lincoln's little blanket was used at his Grandma Huckvale's blessing, his Mom's blessing, and all her siblings. 

 

 

They each wanted a turn to hold him.

Dylan

Austin

Luke is so sweet, I had to use this picture

One of the most precious moments of the day came when I had taken Lincoln upstairs when he was a little fussy.  I was rocking him and all of a sudden, Austin runs in with a music box to help his little cousin "be happy".  It was so sweet and so sincere.  Lincoln immediately calmed down and was very alert.  Pretty soon Dylan and Luke wandered upstairs and they all wanted to help me with their baby cousin. I was so touched by thier tenderness to baby Lincoln. 

Love these sweet boys! All we need is Blake! And Kaylee, Paige, Claire, Reese and Skye!