The Last Day He Will be Eight

I reminded Sam today that this is the last day he will ever be 8 again. He said, "I know, Eight was great, but NINE is a magic number!"

How can you argue with that? Even though sometimes I feel like he was only eight for a moment, I have to agree that with every year, I delight in him more. So I guess I'm pretty excited about seeing year nine as well!

Science Festival

Today we went to the Flagstaff Festival of Science. We had a great time and we saw a lot of amazing physics and chemistry experiments. The boys even played with robots!

Sam definitely thought the best part was all the really cool bugs! But I think my favorite part had to be watching Jake. Sometimes this oldest son of mine is such an inspiration! I find myself delighted at the curiosities of his mind, and in awe of his ability to approach anyone, and ask any question so as to satisfy that curiosity. These are qualities I truly wish I had and that I so admire in Jake. Here are some pictures of Jake doing what Jake does best...talking to people, and learning a lot!

Sam petting a tarantula
Sam and a millipede
Jake holding a stick bug (I think?)
Sam with the eye of an owl!
Will says, "This, This!!!"

Autumn is in the Air

The mornings are starting to be a little chilly, perfect for pumpkin pancakes or chai tea. The evening air is crisp and cool and you can occasionally smell a neighbors fire place. Our bike rides have been such a joy, as the weather is pleasantly cool and autumn is slowly begining to reaveal its lovely shades.

Is it October 1st yet?

This is the second package that Sam has received so far that he can't open until his birthday. Aunt Kim wrote specific instructions on this one (not ok to open, ok to rattle!) It's making him crazy...it rattles good! When he woke up this morning the first thing he said was "How many more days until I can open that package?" It's good to be 8, and excited about your birthday!

Will is Discovering Nature

Learning Outside

Our new method of homeschooling requires a lot of reading for the boys. They have decided that they really enjoy taking their reading outside. Sam has a special spot in a tree they named Old Smokey. Jake likes to sit amongst the rocks and bushes to do his reading. But yesterday I found them both in the tree reading, and when I went out to check on them, I heard "Mom, this is the best book ever!" (They were reading books on Ben Franklin and Christopher Columbus) Hopefully, we have found the form of homeschooling that works for our family!

A Twofer!

Sam picked these these lovely wildflowers for me and he was so excited to see that they came with a bonus! His excitement was the best present ever!

Look at the Sky!

This is the view looking up from our front door this morning. Amazing! I swear it is even bluer than in the picture!

Saturday Mornings with Pancakes are the Best!

These boys are seriously happy! I think their love of pancakes might be a little out of control! We came up with a new recipe this morning, white chocolate chip pancakes with raspberry sauce. After tasting them myself, I decided that their reactions were right on target!

Will's First Bike Ride

Will loves the ride, but not so much the helmet. I think he will find it is a small price to pay for such an adventure with his dad and brothers.

The World's Best Big Brother

Jake really takes his role as big brother very seriously. He has been very protective of both Will and Sam lately. He really tugged on our heart when Sam was in the hospital. I think he was even more worried than John and I were. He reminded us that Sam is his best friend. The feeling is definitely mutual because the first thing Sam said when he woke up was "When is Jake coming to visit?" He just wasn't used to Jake not being the first thing he sees when he wakes up.

Give Thanks in all Circumstances...

As you can imagine the last few days have been very emotional and very exhausting. But God is so good to us. This is the view that awaited us as we got back into Flagstaff. Not only were we bringing Sam home from the hospital, happy and healthy, but God created this masterpiece to welcome us home! We were sure it of it because the name of the road where we saw this amazing scene is "Newman Park Road"!

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Dinousaur Fun in Phoenix!

Jake is really excited for Walking with the Dinosaurs-The Live Experience to Start!
Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, which Jake also loved because of the many, many guitars!

While waiting to get into the show, Will finds a girl to flirt with.

Jake finds someone who is interested in hearing him talk about Dinosaurs.

Actually, he met another kid who thought he was such an amazing expert on the subject that he actually asked for Jake's autograph!!!

OOOOHHHHH---the anticipation!

Brachiasaurus and T-Rex

Will loved it too! He kept pointing and saying "This, This!!"

Panning for gold at the Arizona Naural History Museum

Sam inside a very old meteorite

Watching the universe

All my boys in front of a triceratops at the museum

Jake is giving us a lesson on T-Rex

Wow! A mammoth is really big!

Simple Pleasures

What could be better at the end of they day than a bouquet of wildflowers from your oldest son? Even though they came from someone else's yard. But who is telling?