Happy Halloween...

Marc had a costume but was out of town for training.  We were characters from Alice in Wonderland.  Liliana was the Cheshire Cat, Ava was the Queen of Hearts, Dillon the Mad Hatter, Garrison and Rosalia made perfect Tweedles, Maia was the mouse, and I was Alice.  Getting 6 kids ready for Halloween solo was a task but we made it out the door in time for Uncle Jarrod to snap a quick photo and head out for some trick or treating fun.  The younger girls wanted to keep going but after an hour Uncle Jarrod agreed to keep them at home to pass out candy while I finished up with the older kids.  He graciously came over to make sure our nicely decorated house didn't get vandalized for not handing out candy.  Got to love the fear of what irresponsible teenagers will do.  Marc may have missed trick or treating but made it home before the kids went to bed.

Trick Or Treating At The Senior Center...

The local MOMS Club scheduled an event at a local senior center.  During lunchtime, the kids walked the kitchen visiting and trick or treating with the older folks.  It was a little overwhelming for the kids to see so many unfamiliar faces but candy being waved around kept them moving!  Rosalia and Maia were so excited to be Elsa and Anna from Frozen.  They, thankfully, let me take a picture of them before we left.

After trick or treating, we headed to Chick Fil-A to grab a bite to eat and play out some of the sugar in their systems.  I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before they were OUT!

Fun In The Sun In October...

This is why I LOVE southern AZ.  Everywhere else I have lived this time of year required sweaters or heaving jackets.  We were so sweaty and thirsty after a little playtime at the park we cut it short to go home to hydrate and cool off!  Maia loves being a big girl and swinging on the big kid swings.  She's still so tiny but has grown so much.  She's no longer a baby.  Sniffle!

Morning Children Finally...

These two have turned into morning children?!  Marc isn't a morning person but I am.  My children are only morning children when they are babies.  For some strange reason, Maia and Rosalia have started coming downstairs happy to see everyone up, saying "good morning" with smiles ear to ear.  This particular morning they both greeted each other and hopped into my bed where they hugged and gave each other a kiss before snuggling to watch some cartoons.  I LOVE when they love each other.

Mustache Day At School...

Such A Good Big Brother...

Rosalia's First Field Trip...

Pumpkin patches in Arizona are kind of a joke compared to what us New Englanders are used to BUT... Rosalia being born and raised here has her not knowing anything different.  Vertuccios Farm is a cute little "farm" right near our house.  We explored this pumpkin patch back when we first arrived in AZ in 2001.  It was so small we never went back.  Over the years, they have added many things to the farm making this a very enjoyable pumpkin patch for the young ones.  Rosalia loved it.  She loved the bumpy train ride, the small barrel train ride, the giant slides, the hay maze, the corn fields where she could pick her pumpkin from, the giant spider web, the animals to feed, and most of all the giant air jumper.  She could have stayed all day if I let her.  She wanted her picture taken the whole day.  Here are some of my favorites...

Our Future Home And All Things Dated...

Oh how I love a project.  This home will provide endless projects.   While up for the inspection, I noticed a heavy amount of dated items that were really screaming "you must update me ASAP"!  I am going to say this house by far is our biggest project yet.  It is the largest fixer upper we have purchased so far.  Every room has at least 1 thing needing to be fixed or updated.  In the past, when we bought fixer uppers we did the fixing ever so slowly and then never reaped the benefits of enjoying all that we fixed before it was time to move again.  I don't plan on staying in Prescott but I did put timelines on all these items so that I could enjoy our labors for at least a little while.

Below are just some of the items I am anxious to update...

Sigh, why oh why do we always find our way to the pink tiled showers and tubs.  At least this one doesn't have a pink toilet to match (our NY house did!)

3 different styles of flooring all ugly in their own way!  This is the entry way connecting to the hallway and kitchen!  And don't ignore the hideous brown baseboard trim.  

This looks like a sink prop that belongs in a horror movie.  This beautiful piece is in the storage room next to a room that leads directly out to the backyard where a dumpster will be waiting to hall it away!

Oh oversized bush how I already despise you!  You are almost as big as the house!  You have so many bees and who knows what else living inside you. I fear for my children's safety when playing outside!

Another dated bathroom has the "cutest" (sarcasm intended) cat toilet paper holder. It matches well with the ugly linoleum and dated wood cabinets!

Who doesn't love brass light fixtures with pull strings?!

This beauty belongs in an antique store!  I think my grandfather had this same light in his kitchen when I was a little girl!

Who knows if this microwave works but let's be real...even if it did I wouldn't use it!

Last but certainly not least, the previous owners loved their brass framed windows so much that they put them inside interior basement room walls.  Decorative?  Extra light added to the rooms?  Who knows what reason but the dumpster is calling their names!

Sensory Bags...

Super easy to make.  Super fun to play with.  All you need...

A ziplock bag

Tape

Hair gel
Fabric 

Food coloring

You pour the gel into your ziplock bag.  Color it if desired with food coloring.  Cut shapes with fabric and insert into the bag.  Tape the top closed to ensure it stays closed during playtime.  Tape it up on a window or fridge and watch as the kids play for hours!

On Our Way To Prescott Times 7...

It's official...Marc is changing jobs and we are changing cities.  He accepted a position with Best Buy.  The new location...Prescott.  Prescott is known for it's much cooler climate just 2 hours northwest of Phoenix.  It's a very small town with only a few smaller towns surrounding it.
Is it on our list of places we wanted to live?...not really but we go where we have to, so this is what's next.  This is by far the toughest move we are making.  There are 8 of us now.  Small towns don't easily accommodate larger families.  Small towns have limited housing options in general.  Luckily, this small town has one awesome realtor.  She has made time in her schedule to show us pretty much every option for housing our family has over the last 7 days!
Not how I planned on spending fall break with the kids but this move is going to come really quick.  Housing right now is my biggest concern.  After all the driving and house looking we have done, I am happy to say we have entered into a contract for a home.  It's just the beginning and I'm certainly not in love but beggars can't be choosers in this type of a situation.  Knowing the talents our family has with fixing things, I have no doubt this house could be a very cozy home in the near future.  For now, it's time to focus on making sure the financing goes through as it's suppose to and on time!  Once it is our, the new stress will come to life in the form of never-ending home renovations and updates.  Until then, it's time to pack up the house once again!

Happy 4th Birthday To Rosalia...

This years theme...

Candyland!  Her cake sure was full of sugary goodness!  With the new job, moving and house hunting, we only ended up celebrating with Papa, Grandma, and Uncle Jarrod instead of the entire extended family.  Rosalia didn't mind because it meant more cake for her!  It also meant endless games of Minnie Mouse Candyland with mommy since she wasn't stuck in the kitchen cooking for the large family!