T.I.A.

 Let's start with the most important news of the weekend . . . Tom and Kohler returned home safely from Africa!  Yeah!!!!  We made these signs and drove through the airport.  People would look at our car and just smile - then when we pulled up to Tom's terminal, we saw Jennette, one of the women in their group.  She said, "We all saw your posters and started cheering so I had to run out and get a picture of it!"  It really made Tom and Kohler happy to see us- and it was SO good to see them!

 Yep - just as promised, the "welcome home dinner" was pizza and bbq wings.  I decided not to make our famous wings for this dinner because I had too many questions and wanted to see all of their pictures and not be stuck doing dishes!  We all sat and talked for a long time.  Both Kohler and Tom said it was one of the most incredible experiences they've ever had.  When I would ask about the bathrooms or food there, they would just say, "Well, it was so run down and dirty and the food was not good--- but we just kept saying T.I.A."  I asked them what that meant and they said, "This Is Africa!"   That would help them get through the tough parts.

I am just one happy mom to have my son back home and my husband here by my side. I will post more pictures of their trip as I download them from Tom's camera.


On to the pumpkin patch!!!

 We met my sister Mary Kay and her kids at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek.  They have such a great set up with the farm animals, carnival rides, hay and train rides, great treats and of course, pumpkins.  We dressed way to warmly though and got so hot!  It was 99 degrees on my car when we got back in.  That's just too hot for October---but T.I.A. - "This Is Arizona!"  ha ha!!!

 We even got to watch a BMX bike show.  Spencer and Nate loved that!

 This is Mary Kay's youngest son, Will.  He still is the most photogenic kid I've ever seen.  You say "smile" and he stops what he is doing and tilts his head to the side and SMILES!

 Hailey especially loved the goats at the farm but we all agreed it was super STINKY!!

Here's most of the gang - Eden, Maya, Hailey, Spencer and Nate.  It's so much fun to be able to hang out with cousins!