Cowgirls and Super Heros

The kids never cease to surprise me and Halloween was no exception. I half expected that when I told them they could pick whatever costumes they wanted this year (as long as they were modest) that I would be escorting a couple of Hannah Montanas and Lightening McQueen through the neighborhood.

But the girls choice to be cowgirls was darling especially because they didn't fight about it...

and although he had to constantly be reminded that he couldn't really fly, Jonny made an awesome Superman!

My favorite quote of the year:

Anna: Can I be a cowgirl when I grow up?

Mommy: You can be whatever you want to be!

Anna: (in a southern accent) Great! Then I'm gonna find me a cowboy and some horses and we'll ride em to Texas cuz that's where cowgirls live. (as loud and animated as possible) YEEHAW! (then in a low whisper) I've been working on that.

And what's Halloween without an art project or 200? (For those of you in the great NorthWet... Yes, it's Halloween are we are wearing shorts and t-shirts. Hee hee! Can you sense my delight?)

Beautiful Surprise

The city of Surprise is not totally developed yet and still has some beautiful fields of roses. This is one that we drive by often on our way to watch jets at the Air Force Base.

Our Final Day in Indio...

we tried out a really cool resturant that the concierge recomended. The grounds were super cool and the kids had a blast climbing on rocks and a giant pig.

The Thipgin's, who were on their way into town as we were leaving, met us for lunch and some quality cousin time!

Fall Break - Indio

Fall break found us at a beautiful resort in Indio, CA, a little town sandwiched between Palm Springs and the Joshua Tree National Park. We thoroughly enjoyed BBQing, lounging on the lazy river, and thanks to the relaxed pace of thing, we also enjoyed far fewer tantrums than usual!

The highlight of our vacation was a little side trip to Palm Springs where we took the tram to the top of a mountain. At times, we were tempted to leave Jonny there, but overall it was a great experience.

Although my fear of heights kept me a little on edge during the ride up the mountain, it really was facinating and the kids loved it!

The views at the top were stunning, and as Jonathan raves, so was the food.

It was a great little break for our family, who was longing for a brief escape from our dinky apartment.