Throw Back Thursday Emily

Here is a picture of Emily when she was around 5 years old.  Emily is one of the sweetest girls that I know.  I'm so lucky to have her as my daughter.  She is very shy, but opens up to those she knows.  I love this girls of mine!!!!

Improv Smackdown

Danni had Improv Smack-down last night. She was hilarious and so fun to watch. Thanks for a great laugh!!!!

Memorable MondayAngela's Therapists

Angela had 4 different therapies for a year and a half from the state - Speech, Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and Early Intervention.  Most of the time, the therapists came to our home.  We visited Darla in a church for a year before the church ended their contract.  She was able to use great equipment there, so it was great to have it at the church.  She came to our home after that and we worked on toys we already had at home.  When she was 2 1/2 the therapys ended and she started attending preschool at Keller.  I learned so much from the therapists and loved watching Angela grow.  We were so lucky to have such amazing services provided for us.  We didn't have to pay a dime.  They billed the insurance and then the state.

Angela and Lara
Speech Therapist

Angela and Darla
Occupational Therapist

Angela's PT's

Angela and Elaine

Angela's Early Interventionist

Angela and Nicole
Early Intervention

Throw Back ThursdayHealing Fields

Years ago, we took our kids to the Healing Fields in Tempe.  I think it was the first year that they put the flags up.  This picture was taken a couple of years after the twin towers fell.  I remember having to talk to my older two about what happened that day.

Memorable Monday RAIN!!! RAIN!!! RAIN!!!!

Too much rain for MHS today!!! The campus was flooded including the basement. Mesa Public Schools didn't close any schools today, but MHS had an optional day today. I wish I knew it was optional before I took them to school. This is as close to an "AZ snow day" that they will ever see.

It was a huge storm that started at 3:00 in the morning and didn't stop until after 7:00.  I drove Josh to school in the dark while it was pouring.  I could barely see the road and was really scared.  The rain let up when I took Danni and Angela to Mesa High, but by then the US 60 had flooded.  It took us 30 minutes to get the girls to school from our house.  Everyone was in Southern and the traffic didn't move.  An hour after The girls arrived at school, Danni called and said that the basement at Mesa High was flooded and  the students who had basements were directed to the gym.  A lot of students did even make it to school.  I came to Mesa High to pick up my kids.  It sounded like it was going to be an optional day. the retention area at Emerald Park was super full and the canals were running super fast.  That evening, water spilled from the retention basin into the streets and houses nearby.  Houses and Keller school were soon flooded.  We learned that the homes and business around Broadway were flooded too.  Mesa received.     Of rain in one day.  We are lucky to receive that much in a year.  It was a HUGE storm.

The basement of Mesa High flooded.

There have so much rain this past few weeks.  The marching band field has been flooding repeatly.  The  kids are not getting much time on the field.  A couple of days before this big storm, there was a huge storm that flooded the northwest section of Phoenix.  I-17 flooded just north of the valley and I watched it on TV.  It's been a crazy month and month with the rain.

Porter's Playground is totally flooded.

Emerald Acres park - a week before it flooded.
The water is almost to the basketball court.

Mesa High - We joked that Mesa High filled their pool early.

Rain totals

News stories from the valley and our neighborhood

Emily enjoying the rain

Beautiful rainbow after our huge storm

Throw Back ThursdayJim and Danni

Danni was one year when this picture was taken.  Jim spent last night helping Danni write an essay for English.  Jim and Danni have an amazing relationship.

Memorable MondayViolin

Emily got her violin this week. She is so excited!  I can't wait to practice with her!

I remember get my first violin, there was a horn on the base which I would play.  I think it played an A, so I could tune my violin.  I started the violin the summer before I started 6th grade.   I didn't practice much until  high school.   In high school,  I traded in my 3/4 size violin for a  full-size violin which I still have today.  My parents paid for my private lessons for awhile which helped me a lot.  My senior year, I did a solo for competition.  I really improved a lot since 6th grade.  I loved playing the violin in high school and the opportunities it gave me.