After the boys’ birthday, we have an action packed end to the rest of the year. It rolls straight in to holiday madness!

The weekend of the 27th-29th, I had a special opportunity to participate in a photography event with the Arizona Association of Professional Photographers. They negotiated special access to Kartchner Caverns State Park. The state park usually does not allow any photography on their public tours.

We had four hours total, and there were two big areas to cover. It seemed to fly by! The whole experience was quite challenging and fun!

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Bill and the boys stayed with me at a little hotel in Benson, AZ. When I got back from the cave tour, there was a little herd of javelina mowing the lawn in front of the parking lot. We could see them from our room!

Bill took the boys to the Ostrich Ranch while I was busy. He just didn’t take many pictures!

They went to Scottsdale to explore later that weekend.

Brendan has a new trick! The stoma from his tracheostomy is finally closed up! He can submerge!! The most fun part was that when he layed back in to the water and it filled up on his neck, he couldn’t stop giggling. It tickled so much! It was a sensation that took some getting used to!

Monday, Bill had the day off of work. It was leftover from some other plans that we had made and then changed for the photo trip. He just kept the vacation day. So while the boys were at school, we went to a movie! Monday morning movies rock, we had the whole place to ourselves!

Tuesday the 31st was the Halloween costume parade at school! Brendan had three or four costumes to choose from. He picked Iron Man for school. They did not allow any masks.

Trevor was Master Chief (from the Halo video game series) There were at least four or five other Master Chiefs on the playground.

Trick-or-treat time!

We took the rocket bike around the neighborhood to look at decorations, and we picked up a dinosaur somewhere along the way.

Ending the month with pure excitement

Happy 6th birthday to my two awesome little boys!!!

A few weeks ago, we were invited to a birthday party at a place called “Pump It Up”. The boys immediately decided that this is where they wanted to have their birthday party. (sorry for my yelling, I was really excited for Brendan!)

There was a little safety video and a light board to play with while we waited for the guests

Arena number one! The kids had 45 minutes to go crazy in here!

Many of the boys’ friends from school came to celebrate

Arena number two! They had 45 more minutes here to play “Glow Wars”. Each kid was given a pop gun loaded with glow in the dark ping pong balls.

Trevor wore his special glow outfit just for this

Brendan ready to take on the ball jumps again

The fastest slide ever

Last step – feed all these hungry kids some pizza!

And of course, cake! Brendan bonked his nose on the edge of a table coming up to his throne. Poor B!

We asked for no birthday song because it upsets Brendan. But all the kids are so well trained for parties that they all started singing anyway! We all survived.

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The boys sat in the throne to open gifts.

They had a boisterous, hysterical time. We are so glad for all of the friends that were able to join us in celebration!

October 11th –

We are trying to enjoy the temperatures that are still hitting 100’s. We found this slip and slide set at Walmart in the clearance bin for $5. They surely were getting rid of summer stuff to already set up Christmas aisles. Five bucks was too hard to pass up.

It wasn’t really slippery.

So we had to bowl with boys.

We even resorted to making a little sled out of an old mat and pulling them down the “lane”. I think next time we set it up, I will have to make a water pillow thing under it.

Once the yard was like a marsh from running the hose so long, the boys just decided to make mud paintings on the wall. And Brendan painted himself!

October 12th –

We can’t get through fall without going to at least one pumpkin patch.

Mother Nature’s Farm is the closest too us. The boys like that they have bouncy houses.

There is a strange area with a bunch of inflatable animals. They liked playing here.

Tortoises are new to the farm this year. Next year, I am guessing they will have more tortoises. 😉

Like an evening stroll on Tatooine

Hay maze

Spider web

Selecting a pumpkin

October 21st –

HopeKids had a fun event with the group “My Box Art”

The kids got to choose a donated/recycled wood cigar box to paint

All of the supplies were provided at each workstation

I helped Brendan with the owl, but he painted the rest

I painted a fish for Trevor

Trevor made his to hold his money. He painted a dollar sign on the other side.

Treats at the end

Brendan loves frosting

There was a nice playground too

October 22nd –

Bill took the rocket bike with the boys to the park to launch rockets with “the Blakes”

Later that day, we carved some pumpkins

Trevor drew this out by himself and he helped carve it.

We made Trevor’s creepy face, plus an owl, plus Wheatley from Portal

I guess we carved our pumpkins way to early because they only lasted about 3 days before getting all gross and moldy! They did not make it until Halloween.

October 23rd –

Trevor set up a “booby trap” or spider web for when Bill came home from work. He can go through a lot of tape.

Bill got revenge later in the day!

Another big milestone! We returned our liquid oxygen and rented oxygen tanks for good. Brendan hasn’t needed oxygen in so many months. We have concentrators as backup if needed. Larry the Oxygen Guy has been coming for refills for so many years. We will miss seeing him!