BOO

It's two weeks out from Halloween and I am just now posting. So behind. Halloween was a nonstop, go-go-go day. I got the boys off to school in full costume before turning around and heading back for their Halloween parade. After the school parade, I went home long enough to get the littles into their costumes before heading to Downtown Mesa for Trick or Treat on Main St. Probably not worth the effort, but the kids loved the candy overload. Once the older kids were home from school, all six got dressed up to head to my parents' house for a quick hello - an annual tradition to show off costumes. On our way home, I totally made the mr. pull over by a gorgeous weathered fence for a little costume photo shoot. The remainder of our evening was spend with neighbors and friends at our neighborhood Halloween block party, complete with food, games, and candy. It was a crazy, but fun, day.

zombie   |   vampire   |   werewolf   |   witch   |   mummy   |   black cat

365.2: WEEK 44

It's November. NOVEMBER. Where in the heck did this year go? Gone. Such a stark contrast to 2015 - which seemed to drag on for eternity. Now that Halloween has passed, I feel as if there is a small lull before life is consumed by everything Christmas. I'm trying to appreciate the small moments. Last week was all about Halloween, post-Halloween recovery, petting goats at the zoo, after school routines, checking out library books, sleepless babies, and church prep.

October 31st - November 6th

ON TOUR

Two weeks ago, and few friends and I took our littles on a tour of our local fire station. It is honestly one of my favorite preschool activities to do with my kids; you never know what you'll experience while there. Side note: Do not walk up to the fire fighters after your tour, starting a question with, "My friend is expecting and..." when all you are asking for is to take a photograph of the front of an engine. Hearing of a woman expecting a baby WILL cause them to be quite alarmed...

365.2: WEEK 43

Look at me fail at posting pictures. They were edited and ready to go; I just forgot. Oops. Last week was chaotic as we were preparing for Halloween. Highlights of our week include lunch dates with cousins, playing with legos, french fries at McDonalds, trick or treating at the library, after school selfies, shopping for Christmas gifts, and dog pile on dad. Yep.

October 24th - October 30th

365.2: WEEK 42

10 more weeks left in the year. THE END IS IN SIGHT. I enjoy capturing so much of our lives, but it gets exhausting and difficult at times. Some days I just don't feel inspired. Or I flat out DON'T CARE. But in the end it is so worth it. Like every-other-year worth it... We'll see how I feel about 365 when 2017 starts. Moving on. This past week. Relatively good, minus early release every single day. But nice to get back into routine. Monday was a make-up day for preschool. Tuesday, our oldest was *officially* a cub scout. Wednesday was a perfect day for the splash pad at the water tower. Thursday was a mini play date with a friend. Friday was our field trip to the fire station. Saturday was our oldest's baptism. And Sunday was a "play with dad on the floor" kind of day.

October 17th - October 23rd

FLAG

Not only did we go on an epic camping adventure during October Break, but we also stayed with my parents (and my birthmother & her boyfriend) at a cabin up in Flagstaff. Early Friday morning, we loaded up and headed north. About 30 minutes outside of Flagstaff, I made the devastating realization that I had left my camera at home. My CAMERA. I was hysterical. And the thought of using my iPhone camera? Forget it. We reached the cabin shortly before lunch and unloaded everything. I then promptly hopped back into the car and made the 2.5 hour drive home (solo) to fetch my camera. It might seem ridiculous to some - if not ALL - of you. But you have to understand just how much of a connection that I have with photography; capturing my family is my life. Luckily, I didn't miss much while I was away. I returned to find my husband waiting for me in the driveway and our children playing together in the yard. Tears of happiness. That evening, the mr. and I took our four oldest to the Lowell Observatory to look at stars. On Saturday, we all made the short trip out to Bearizona. The best. To say that the littles loved seeing the wildlife right up close from the comfort of our car would be an understatement. Bison. Bears. Bighorn sheep. We picnicked at the walk-through area before doing a second loop in our car. That afternoon, the big four and I went on a walk with my dad through the neighborhood where we were staying. Deer everywhere up there. After packing up on Sunday morning, we went to the Grand Canyon Deer Farm for a visit. My parents even bought containers of feed for the littles to give to the deer. Such sweet creatures. My kids loved it (with the exception of one, who is visibly screaming in one of the images below - to my entertainment). It was such a wonderful vacation.
Yes. There was a camel at the deer farm. Also llamas, alpacas, elk, reindeer, goats, and various other animals.