Playing Catch Up

Hayes and I spent two wonderful weeks visiting Spence’s parents in England while they were on their mission.  I haven’t had the chance to chronicle our trip, so I’m going to start with some random posts of our trip. 

One day, Hayes and I split up from Jay and Trish and decided to take a boat ride on the Thames that ended at the Tower Bridge.  It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly because when we arrived at Tower Bridge, they announced that in 30 minutes, a cruise liner was going to come through the Tower Bridge and dock next to the H.M.S. Belfast, a WWII cruiser that is permanently docked on the Thames between the London Bridge and Tower Bridge.   They said we were lucky to see them raise the bridge completely up to let a ship pass.  They usually just raise it a little to let small boats through.  When you see the pictures, you’ll see why they had to raise the bridge all the way.  It was an amazing sight!

A shot of Hayes on the little tour boat with the Tower Bridge in the background.  You can see a red bus crossing the bridge and people walk across also.

Here the bridge is opening up to let the cruise ship come in. (just bear with me here…even if I’m boring you to death!)  It was really neat to see.

Finally here come the ship in the background on the left.

It doesn’t look that big as it approaches.

These pictures can’t really do it justice.  The ship was massive.

People on the ship were on top waving to all of us who were watching it come by.

This is the cool little tugboat that was anchored to the back of the Silver Cloud.  I’m guessing it was there to pull the ship backwards out of the Thames since it was too big to turn around.

The whole trip was like a dream.  We saw so many amazing things it seemed surreal.

Happy Halloweenie!

Halloween is Chase’s all-time favorite holiday….other than all the other holidays!   He wanted to be a smurf…even though he’s never seen a single smurf cartoon or the new smurf movie.  He got Jokey Smurf in a Happy Meal and that was all it took.  Ree by default was a mouse, since I still had two mice costumes from when Hayes and Chase were little.  And Hayes wanted to be a pick pocket.  You wouldn’t believe the arguments he and I had over what a pick pocket is supposed to look like.  I was thinking Oliver Twist and the only picture he had in his mind was from these modern youth novels he’s read about pick pockets.  You’ll see from the pictures that I won out in the end (ask Spence about my arguing skills…he won’t smile).  We had a great night and Spence willingly and pleasantly joined us for all of the festivities.   Some definite brownie points for him. 

 

 

Oops…I forgot that my camera battery died and I took Chase’s pictures with my mom’s camera.   I’ll have to update this later.  Sorry Chase!

The Grandma’s did not disappoint this year with their “special” goody bags for the grandkids.  We didn’t really even need to go trick-or-treating after getting a bag from Grandmas Terry and Trish.  The kids had fun with the silly glasses from Grandma Trish’s goody bags!

We also decorated gourds (cheaper and easier than pumpkins) for Chase to take to school.  He was pretty proud and kept carrying them around the house. 

Until next year!  I’ve got a great idea for a toilet costume if I can talk any of my kids into wearing it!!

Chase

As some of you may have heard, we had a little bit of a scare this month.  Chase fell and hit his head and needed to be flown to Phoenix to the hospital.  He ended up being fine from the head injury, but nearly died when they gave him a high dose shot of a painkiller in the helicopter.  It was an experience that I hope to NEVER repeat.  Thank you to all who called or came to the hospital and brought meals when we got home; we really appreciate it.

Chase’s classmates all made cards for him while he was gone.  They were super cute.  Here’s Chase posing in front of them after we taped them all to the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think Hayes enjoyed them about as much as Chase.  He read every one of them to Chase.

We love you Chase.

A day at the Hinckson

 

Chase is a tenacious little thing.  Hayes and Parker had gone exploring down the wash. (they were long gone) Chase had gotten wobbly and wasn’t feeling well.  He couldn’t even really stand up.  So he started crawling down the sand wash.  We had to drag him back to the truck.  Who knows how far he would have gone?!?

I’ve got moves Ma

Hayes has names for all of his trampoline moves.  Some of them are pretty funny.  He MAKES me take pictures while he tries them all out. 

The 360

The Happy New Year

The Judo Kick

Ree’s moves are sitting and standing.

High flying Eyes Closed Judo Kick

Kiss the Guns

Some of the best named tricks didn’t get in a photo…. like the 360 Monk Prayer, The Method, The Praying Mantis, and some others that Hayes will not admit to now.

Here Kitty, Kitty

(sometimes willingly, and sometimes unwillingly….you really don’t have a choice, Switch (the cat’s name)

I just found some older pictures with a different cat that let Ree torture it! (this one is named Rue)

If this was a trampoline move, Hayes would call it the “head crusher”