Sophomore Sisters!!

Today starts my Baby Girls' Sophomore year of High School! I'm always a little sad when Summer is over & it's Back To School! Even though they are always more than ready.

Beautiful Erica!

Lovely Lexi!

Seems like just yesterday this was them starting School!

Where has the time gone? We have taken pictures of our kids on the first & last day of School each year! It's fun to look back & see how they've grown & changed over the years! And this year is going to be MORE Fun! MORE Adventurous! MORE Exciting! Why? Because they are SophoMOREs! 

Detroit!

We were a young couple with two little boys, Kyle was 2 years old & Zach just 10 months old when we moved from Arizona to Michigan. We lived in Auburn Hills, a northern most suburb of Detroit. My parents had come from Detroit to Phoenix & I came along later. ;) I have many Aunts, Uncles & cousins in the Detroit area, and as a teenager, I loved spending my Summers there. I remember when we were moving people told us, even though we would be just an hour drive, we'd never go into Detroit! It's a Scary place. "The Murder Capitol of the World!" they told us. But I am a City girl! And we ended up going into Detroit a lot. As an Arizonan, we found just about the only place to get Authentic Mexican Food, was in Mexican Town in Detroit. And some of out Favorite food we found in Greek Town. We couldn't go there often enough! Opa! :) We'd always go to the big Auto Show they have every year. And the first time I ever saw Les Miserables was at the beautiful Fox Theater in Detroit!

We have so many great Memories from our Eight plus years we spent in the Detroit area! The best one being that Our Girls were born there! :) And many people we consider among our best friends are from our time there. We've kept in touch with many of them. Some that still live there & others that have since moved away. One such couple is Mark & Debbie, who now live in Farmington, New Mexico. And on our way up to Colorado for Vacation, we stopped to meet them for lunch. We've seen them a few times over the years & it's always great! It was thanks to them that we saw Les Mis for the first time! And when we went in to the hospital to have our girls, it was them who kept our Boys at their home over night!

Their son Micah was a teenager in our Youth Group & when we found out we were pregnant several kids in our Youth Group told us we were having Twins. We said of course we're not, but they persisted. Then we found out we were indeed having Twins. Micah said repeatedly that they would be born on his Birthday, October 3rd. Our original due date was October 11th, but when we discovered we were having multiples, the Dr. told us if we made it to September, we'd be doing really well & he'd be very happy! (Multiple births are high risk & the vast majority of them are born very early) Not only did we make it to September, but we made it Through September! (and thankfully I was never put on bed rest either) at 39 weeks my Dr. put me into the hospital & issued cervical gel & the next day they would induce labor. The gel sent me right into labor & the girls were born around 2:30 am on October 3rd. That's right Micah's 18th Birthday! And their daughter Jenesis was our son Kyle's first love of his life. Never mind that he was in Preschool & she in College! :) Jen had inturned at our church one summer she was home from school & Kyle feel head over heels! I'll never forget the Sunday after Jen went back to school & we had hired a new Church secretary, Kyle marched right up to the new lady & said very forcefully: "This not you office, it's Jenis!" :0 He went on a few years later to be the Ring Bearer in her Wedding. :) Well Jen & her family now also live in Farmington & she & her adorable son Josiah got to meet us for lunch that day as well.

We couldn't have centered this picture any better if we'd tried. Look at how the fan on the wall in the Thai Food Restaurant frames little Josiah's head perfectly like a halo! :) We met them the same week we had all heard the news that the City of Detroit has filled Bankruptcy. And I think I speak for all of us when I say it breaks our heart. They told us we wouldn't recognize places in the city now that look like a ghost town. So many people have left. We knew the economy hit Detroit hard. And the Auto Bail Out helped (as Mark put it, it was a Band Aid) but it couldn't reverse all the damage. I'm praying they can rebuild & come back as the Great City we know it is.

I loved that this year on So You Think You Can Dance a young man from Detroit made it into the top 20 with a style of Dance called Jitting, that is native to Detroit and is so cool! And on the up & coming season of American Idol, they will hold Auditions in Detroit as well. That makes me happy. There is so much good about Detroit. After all it is the birth place of Motown! The music we listen to today wouldn't be what it is if it weren't for Motown! Out of Detroit also came Kid Rock, Eminem, and of course my Favorite: Madonna! It is also Hockey Town! Go Red Wings! And they have one of The best Baseball Stadiums in the Country! So glad we got to take our boys to the new Tiger Stadium before we moved away. Detroit gave us the Automobile! And you might not know this, but Little Caesars Pizza came out of Detroit as well! "Pizza Pizza!!" :) You see, there is so much to love about the city of Detroit! It's one of America's most important cities. And I for one am Praying it can come back & rebuild!

Dancing In Durango!

Yesterday was the National Day of Dance! Dance is Biblical! Dance is fun! Dance = Joy!

 "Shuffle, Step!"

When my girls were little I put them in a little Tap Dance class. It was just so cute watching them! And for about three & a half years the girls & I took Hula Lessons. (One of the MOST Beautiful types of Dance ever Created!)

I'm in the solid blue, my girls in floral on either side of the front row!

Performing in the Arizona Aloha Festival!

I took Dance all through High School. It was my Favorite class & some of my best High School Memories. When my girls were getting ready to start High School I told them they should take Dance, I knew they would love it as much as I did. They had all 4 years of classes planned out. They had to fit in all their regular classes & what they'll need to get in to College, with Band, Choir, other interests of theirs like Art & Photography, etc. let's just say they have a full schedule. So they decided to take Dance their Freshman year as their one needed P.E. Credit. But me being right (As Usual!) :) half way through the year, they decided to audition for next year, which they made Intermediate Dance, & rearrange their class schedule so they can take Dance ALL four years of High School! Just another example of Mother Knows Best! :) So now you can come into my house at any given moment & find one or two (or sometimes more) girls Dancing around our house! Or at the park with friends Dancing!

So when we found ourselves on Vacation in Beautiful Durango Colorado, as we were walking around taking in all the Beauty, we couldn't help ourselves but wonder what it would look like to combine the art of Photography with the art of Dance in such a Beautiful setting! We had so much fun coming up with Dance moves to try in different places. We got some really funny shots taken too soon or too late, that looked like either a marshal arts move or someone falling in mid air! :) But we got some really Beautiful shots as well. Hope you enjoy viewing them as much as we enjoyed taking them! (While wondering what everyone around us was thinking as we were doing it!) ;) 

Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water:

Tunnel of Love:

 (Well, he couldn't let his Daughters show him up 
with their Dance Moves! :))

 I Am Sixteen Going On Seventeen:

Mama Mia:

 (Ballet!)

  (Hip Hop! :)) 

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music:

 

 

We Are Family:

 (Even Austin had to bust a move!)

 

 

 

 

Well there's our Dancing pics. I'm just so happy I now have someone to watch So You Think You Can Dance with me. :) I love watching them learning & falling in love with Dance! So from us to you: When you get the choice to sit it out or Dance, I hope you Dance!

Getting High!

Colorado, Rocky Mountain High, that is! :) 

John's Sister Pat moved to Durango, Co. almost a year ago. 

John helped her move there, but the rest of us had never been there. 

And we were in for a real treat!

Take a look . . .

Around the Animas River:

The girls & I

Cute Cousins!

Don't forget to Look Up! 

 And once in awhile it pays to look down. 

 Sisters Hanging Loose! 

Me & my Love!

 

 Daddy & Daughters making music on giant Xylophones in the park! 

 

 Once a Band Geek, always a Band Geek!

 

 Pat putting her feet in.

 Austin is King of the World! (Or at least the River)

 

Erica found a perfect Triangle rock. 

Did she keep it, or skip it? ;)

 Lovely Lexi!

Brother & Sisterly Love!

Doing Durango:

 Downtown!

Horsing around!

Visiting Pat's neighbors horses.

Making Friends. 

Love!

 Us!

Lexi with the Bees at Honeyville in honor of her favorite book:

The Secret Life Of Bees!

Cute Crepe Cart in Downtown!

 

 Breakfast outside

 

Lovely little town! 

Durango And Silverton Small Gage Railroad Museum:

 There's some really cool stuff in here! 

 "I think I can, I think I can!"

All aboard! 

"Play us a song, you're the Piano Man"

Cute Caboose! ;)

 "Lean on me, when your not strong.

I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on.

For it won't be long, till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on."

Adventures in Purgatory:

 Yes, we were in Purgatory.

Austin & Erica on the Chair lift

It's Beautiful at the top!

Pat and her Men; BF Steve and Grandson Austin

 

I don't know why so many people are afraid of going to Purgatory,

It's Beautiful here! :)

I'm on the top of the world looking down on creation . . .

 Getting ready for the Bungee Trampoline!

 Erica's up first

 Here we go!

 Flipping out! 

 Lexi's turn. 

 There was no way, she was gonna try a flip. 

 No, it's not Superman, it's Austin!

 Music in the Mountains

with my Music Man!

 Austin on the Alpine Slide!

Erica racing to the bottom!

Lexi, Last but not Least!

 Water Runner with Erica

 I think Austin won this battle!

 Oh yeah!

Bubble Trouble!

Biker Babes:

 Steve about to give Erica her first Harley Ride!

A retired Police Sergent, who's been riding since
he was younger than she is now.

Who's expertise would soon be put to the test.

 Little did we know what was about to happen . . .

 It started with some rain and Luckily my little girl loves the rain!

Erica had all her hair up in a bun, 

which kept the smaller helmet from fitting her head, 

so Steve gave up his helmet for her.

But it didn't stop with rain, it turned into a Downpour and HAIL!

Mom and Dad were scared to death! Thankfully she wasn't.

Even though she said the Hail hurt,

when they got off the Bike Steve told us:

You're gonna have to watch out for this one; she's loving this! 

So she now has new rules:

She can NEVER date a boy with a Motorcycle, fast car, 

or any dare devil tendencies what so ever! 

I told Steve & Erica now they can say

They've been to Purgatory & they had to go through Hail to get out! :) 

Lexi getting ready for her turn on the bike.

Now that Steve's head is dented from the Hail, 

guess we'll let him wear a helmet this time! :0

Lexi loved it too! I think we've created Monsters!

Austin got to go too!

And loved it just as much as the girls.

Silverton:

 This town is just so Adorable! 

So Quaint!

We ate at a place called Handlebars!

 So cute & such Amazing food.

Or maybe after Erica & Steve's wild ride, 

we were just so happy to have made it there alive

it tasted so good!

The rain left some Beautiful Waterfalls behind!

 It's the ripple effect!

Vallecito Lake:

 TOEtally Gorgeous! ;)

 Lexi, Austin and Eri taking it all in!

 John and I enjoying the view!

 

 A storm moving in over the lake.

God is pretty Awesome if I do say so myself!

It was hard to have to leave such a Beautiful place.

But Durango left it's mark on each of us!

Forever in our hearts.