Catching up- October and November

We have had a busy few months with three different trips along with Halloween and Thanksgiving. Here is a little catch up of what we have been up to.
After coming home from Sedona, Emma had her first field trip of the year and I was able to go along as a chaperone.


We got to ride on the big yellow bus to the children's museum

Emma waiting to go into the museum
We had a great time playing in the museum and having a picnic lunch.

The next day, Emma had her annual school walk-a-thon.


Even with a soccer game in the middle, Emma walked 60 laps which equaled about 6 miles. Emma also got a medal for getting the most donations in the first grade, so thank you to all the family and friends that supported her! Ian walked 28 laps, too. He got a lollipop as the prize for walking 14 laps and that was his excitement of the day.

We headed to the pumpkin patch with friends:




Emma and Ian both liked the cow train

and they each went on a pony ride:


and the giant box of corn was a hit, too



Emma and Ian both had dress-up parades at school:

Ian really wanted to be a superhero this year. When asked which one he was going to be he always answered "The Blue One"



My favorite picture of the day; this is a classic Ian look.

Emma with good friend, Savana

Ian walked with Emma for part of her parade

In November, Emma had a 4 day weekend over Veterans Day, so we stretched it a bit and spent 5 days in Maui. We relaxed at the beach, drove the long road to Hana to see lots of waterfalls, and Emma learned to snorkel:


Emma and Daddy snorkeling

Ian enjoyed snacks on the beach

Dinner out

Waterfalls,

and lava tubes on the Road to Hana

More snorkeling


This is the "beach" the Emma and Daddy went snorkeling

Just one week later, we headed to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with family.
Emma had a great time building a TeePee with B-pa


On Thanksgiving morning, we walked in a local turkey trot. It was a cold, early morning, so needless to say, our children were not the most joyous there:


On Saturday, we went down to Blacksburg to see Virginia Tech play UVA. It was cold, but we were much better dressed in winter jackets and hat, so we made it through the game with mostly happy faces.




So that is how we spent our fall! It was busy and went by quickly, but we had a lot of fun along the way

A Weekend in Sedona

We just got back from a wonderful weekend in Sedona, Arizona with Nana and B-Pa. Emma has been studying Deserts in school, so this was the perfect opportunity to take a field trip and learn first hand about the geology, animals, and culture of the area.

On Saturday morning, we all went hiking in Red Rocks State Park. Here, we were surrounded by awesome views like this :

and this:

Both Emma and Ian were great hikers

and they put B-pa's Binoculars to good use


When Ian was told that he could not walk with the binoculars, he made his own:

"I see a cactus!"

Our family close to the end of the hike

On Sunday, we went on another adventure to get even closer to the rock formations.

We went off roading on the pink jeep tours.
Where we went up and down roads like this:

and saw views like this:

We also visited and old native american  cliff dwelling called Montezuma's Castle:



That evening, we went to watch the sunset wash the rocks in color

and got some great family photos, too:





On Monday, we explored Flagstaff before flying back home. Thank You Nana and B-pa for such a fun weekend!

To see more pictures, check out this slideshow:

Ian's First Day of Preschool

Ian finally got to go to school this week after asking to go every day since Emma started school in August.



So, off he went; broken arm and all. (Ian broke his arm a few weeks ago while playing on the playground)



Ian is going to school two days a week at a local preschool. He already loves it.



Ian refused to let me help him carry anything. He really wanted to give his teachers the presents that he helped me make. (He chose the chocolate kisses for their little survival kits).



He made himself at home in the classroom and kept saying "bye mom"


"Really, mom, you can head on out"

When I picked Ian up on Tuesday, Ian's teacher said that he was very lovable. They were talking about using "gentle hands" at circle time and after that he just wanted to give hugs for the rest of the morning. When I picked him up on Thursday, his teacher was impressed with how adaptable he is. They were doing painted handprints on their school bags and she said they just did his left hand twice.

We are really excited for Ian to make new friends and have a great school year!

Boy's Hokie Weekend

Ian and Daddy took off for a Boy's Weekend to Virginia for the Virginia Tech home opener against Georgia Tech and visited friends in Roanoke.

The first big hit of the weekend was the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. The prime exhibits were a rail yard full of various trains and cars.

Ian was particularly fascinated by the various caboose cars.

They also had and engine inside where he could drive the train.

The other prime attraction was the very large model train exhibit. Despite only one train running, Ian was very excited and had to be pulled away.

For Daddy, the museum also had VT's Victor Tango vehicle from the DARPA Grand Challenge. Ironically, it was parked next to a Chevy EV1.

Monday was Gameday. After visiting a number of friends in Blacksburg, we made it to the stadium. Ian enjoyed the team's entrance and the fireworks, but half way through the 1st quarter, he asked if it was time to go home yet.

Of course, the game ended up going into overtime, where the Hokies won, 20-17! Ian was a trooper, making it through the whole game, finally collapsing when we got to the car around midnight.

When it came time to fly back, we got upgraded to first class, where Ian enjoyed the snacks and drinks.

He finished off with the mark of any good trip.