First day of school

The little one was so excited the night before school that she just couldn't sleep! But, they all got up on time, lunches packed, and backpacks in hand as they headed out the door for their first day of school!

Beach Trip

It's our annual trip to the beach just before school starts.

We stayed at a hotel that was on the beach, but also had plenty of pools, a waterpark, and lots of fun playtime.

It was a great way to end the summer, but now it's home for orientation night!

Watermelon Summer

Our oldest LOVES watermelon! During the summer, we've gone through 3-4 watermelons each week. I finally gave up having a clean kitchen floor and settled for sticky watermelon juice spots.

She decided to do something different with this next one and surprised us all with a nice carving! She then added some grapes & freshly picked blueberries.

Violin Solo

Our son played during Mass for the first time! He did a great job. Click here to watch it on youtube.

Independence Day

Happy Birthday USA!

We plan to celebrate our great nation's birthday by eating traditional American cuisine: hotdogs, hamburgers, and strawberry shortcake with freshly picked blueberries & strawberries.

Arizona - Sedona

Our trip ended with a red-eye flight from Phoenix back to SC. That night flight seems to be easier on the kids than the adults!

Our final leg of the trip included a drive through beautiful Sedona on our way back to Phoenix. The kids slept during this stretch of highway, so we decided not to stop for group photos. Enjoy the pics!

Arizona - Sunset Crater

Just 15 min. from Sunset Crater are the remains of a pueblo village. This was also a subject studied by the kids in recent years, so it was neat to see how these were built. It's amazing that this farming community was able to survive in the arid climate.

One side trip that wasn't planned was a visit to Sunset Crater, an active volcano that last erupted 800 years ago. Because the climate here is so dry and windy, little vegetation has grown back. You can still see the blast zone, lava flows, and remnants of that eruption as if it occurred only months ago.

Arizona - Grand Canyon (East Rim)

Before leaving the canyon, we had to take one last picture of the mighty Colorado. Here, you see the beginning of the canyon with the Colorado at the bottom. In the distance on the right is a large, flat plateau called the Painted Dessert.

After the hike, it was getting close to noon so we decided to have a picnic on the rim before heading back to the car. One of the best picnics & views of my life!

As we headed back up the trail, Daddy decided the little one could walk a little. She chatted the entire way down and the entire way up! Not only did she keep us entertained, but the other hikers seemed to appreciate it, too!

On this day, we hiked about 1/3 the way down to a nice viewing point. This particular trail was dry, meaning no water stations. We passed several park rangers that carried extra supplies for those unprepared, and one offered to take our picture.

The older kids (Eric included) decided to climb on the side cliffs of the canyon. I was okay with them climbing along Route 66, but the canyon cliffs were a different story.

While waiting for the bus to take us to the East Rim hiking path, the kids found a natural seat to rest.
The next morning we had a choice to climb Mt. Humphries or hike the East Rim. It was unanimous - hike the canyon again! The East Rim was much less populated and offered a completely different view.

Arizona - Grand Canyon (South Rim)

This was our lowest level in the canyon, which only went about 1/4 the way down. Total round-trip hike took about 3 hours. The weather was unusually cool, and made us yearn to keep going. But without the necessities to sustain a longer hike, we knew it wasn't safe. Plus, it was going to take all 4 of us to get the little one back up.

We decided to hike down into the canyon as far as the little one would walk. She was fascinated with the squirrels, and wanted to stop frequently for chips, granola, & water, but that was okay. It gave us a chance to look in awe again at the majestic view.

This place is amazingly beautiful! The Colorado River may have carved out this natural wonder of the world, but God was guiding that river. Each colored layer takes you back in time millions of years.

We anticipated our long-awaited view from the south rim, the most populated viewing point. Lots of people & buses, but it didn't matter. The view was incredible!

Arizona - Route 66

As a finishing treat, we all shared a coke float at the town's burger joint, still operating from it's original building over 60 years ago.

After driving an hour or so down Route 66 (passing the infamous Berma Shave signs) we came upon this cute 50's town of Seligman, AZ. They had all the decor and charm as if the road is still heavily traveled. The kids enjoyed seeing "Tow Mater" and "Doc" from the movie Cars.

While I was soaking in the historical stretch of highway, the rest of the family decided to stretch their legs and climb nearby rocks. What I see as a beautiful landscape, they see as a playground!

After passing Hoover Dam on the way to the Grand Canyon, we decided to take a more scenic route on Route 66. I remembered my dad's stories about the Old Mother Road, and how it was the only road connecting Illinois to California before Interstates were built. I just had to drive on it, then stop for a picture by the road sign.