FALL LEAVES!

 Richelle, Rodica and Bill posted pictures of the most beautiful fall leaves! I asked here where she went out of town to again and she said it wsa just up in Sedona! So the very next week, we didn't have a lot of sports so Jared agreed to take me to Sedona to see the fall leaves and spend the day together. Saturday morning the twins had a private basketball lesson which we thought was just going to be an hour but it ended up being almost 3 hours! Eli had a baseball scrimmage against Hamilton but that should have been 2 hours and then lunch at Canes after with the team - well the game went 4 hours!!!! Needless to say by the time everything actually ended and we would have driven up to Sedona, it would have been dark. So we reached out to a couple of friends looking for an alternative and we ended up in Christopher Creek on a little hike to see some fall foliage. It was no Sedona, but it was perfect for the amount of time we had! I loved that Jared was so willing to hop in the car and take me. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal except he HATES driving places like that, but I sure enjoyed our little 5-7 hour get away together. Then we picked up some dinner on the way back. I love any time I can spend with him. He is my person. My best friend. My ride of die! I love him even more than fall leaves! 

PATRIOTS VS THE CHALLENGER TEAM!

 ALAQC Baseball got the opportunity to go to Chandler National Little League and play their Challenger Team. It is a team made up of all special needs kids. The whole team went and got paired up with a buddy. They would rotate buddies, rotate offense and defense. They would fake fall, miss balls on purpose, cheer on the other team. The whole team had smiles on their faces the whole entire game! Our team loved it! It melted my heart and may have been one of my favorite games of the year! 

ELI'S FIRST DATE & HOMECOMING!

 His first date and his first Homecoming dance was all the same day! Long story short...Monday the week of he texted a stranger that he didn't know and who didn't go to his school to go to Homecoming with him because she was friends with Brady's date. She politely said no because she was going with all her girlfriends so if they didn't all have a date she better not go. After that I told Eli to skip HOCO this year and just go next year and we will plan it all out in advance and get a fun group, etc. Then Friday night right when the football game is starting he texted me saying this girl texted him and said if he still didn't have a date she could go with him and she already had a ticket! So after asking him 20 questions about what the plans were, we let him go! We wanted him to go and to have a good time - we just needed to make sure there was a plan in placce! 

Saturday morning he is out mowing the Orchard to earn his money for the day and I am asking him what the plan were and they had a rough idea but nothing concrete. So I texted all the boys in his group and let them know they are welcome to come to our house after the dance for a firepit, smores bar, hot cocoa bar and treats! They instantly say yes! So then I help organize all their plans and then I have a couple of moms texting me asking me what the plans are so I created a group chat and let everyone know the plans for the rest of the day! 

We now have solid plans for the day and everyone knows and we have about 20 minutes before Eli is going to get picked up to go grab his date to take them to Fat Cats for glow in the dark golf! He is stressed and wasn't sure what to wear, so we grabbed a few outfits and started frantically texting Emma to have her help us! She was at work so we couldn't wait for her final decision and we made the best we could and he left! 

Jared and I texted him things to do on his date, knock on her door, introduce himself, tell her she looks nice, tell her you like her dress, open the door for her, etc. 

Then I get the cutest text from him stressed about what to do at frys - see pic below! He is seriously the sweetest! 

Then I meet them at the Silos and we take pictures. Again, first time dater - it's time to take the couples picture and he puts his arm around her shoulder like they are long time pals - I have to tell him in front of her that his arm goes around her waist - ha ha! He did that a couple of times! 

They go to do dinner, then the dance, then they headed over to Brady's to change their clothes and then they came back here to hang out by the fire, they at some smores, hot chocolate and had some treats and put on a movie! Everyone left around midnight. They all seemed to have the best time! 

The night before I asked Eli if Maggie his date was even cute - just giving him a hard time cause he has never met her before and he assured me he wouldn't take an ugly girl. Then Saturday night when he came in our room to say goodnight as he was walking out my bedroom, he stopped and turned around and said, "She was cute right mom?!" "Yes buddy - she was cute for sure!"

Then they both texted each other that night and apologized for being so shy and quiet - it was both of their's first dates and dances! He had the best night and I am so glad he went! 

HOCO PARADE AND ASSEMBLY!

 ALAQC did their very first ever Homecoming parade! It was so good!! All of the different clubs/sports who wanted to participate got to. It started off with a Queen Creek police officer driving and then each float followed behind them! The baseball team had the best time putting it together that morning, riding on the float, tossing out all the candy and then by the end of the parade kids were still begging for stuff so they started ripping apart the float and tossing out streamers & balloons! So grateful to have been apart of it! So grateful it turned out since once again no one wanted to do anything, but luckily I found an idea and got Michelle Sorensen to create it! The parade route went through the whole parking lot and the elementary school, jr high and high school kids were outside watching it and cheering for them! 

That week was spirit week - the boys dressed up all week, but sadly I never got a picture of any of them or their friends except for this one picture of Eli, Chloe & Brady when they dressed up as missionaries - ha ha! 

After the parade was the school homecoming assembly. I went to go watch Julie tackle Jonah! Then since Jonah was on stugo, he was in charge of the assembly and it was time for musical chairs so Jonah was so awesome and picked Eli! All the baseball team was cheering for Eli. Then the freshman football player who won the whole thing got Eli out the first round - the baseball boys were standing up and booing him -  it was hilarious! 

Then when each student section during the assembly had to cheer for their grade, when they called the juniors - because Eli was sitting in the juior section with his team, he stood up and cheered for the juniors - he is hilarious! I love how much he wants to be involved! 

LEONA'S WEDDING!

 Leona and Ronnie got married! Jared and I were lucky enough to be invited! It was so fun to escape the kids, get dressed up and then go hang out with some of my favorite Lululemon co-workers! Love these lemons, but mostly I love Jared! 

ELI'S 16TH BIRTHDAY!

 Eli turns 16!! How can this be?! When your oldest gets older you love it and are so excited - you can't wait to see each new chapter of their lives...but when everyone else gets older you get super sad because you realize how fast time flys and you hate it! 

Well with Eli having his best buds already in California and us knowing he wouldn't be getting his license for his birthday, but still wanting him to have a memorable birthday...we came up with a plan! 

Thursday when the twins and I left Newport, we left Eli to stay the night with the Cardons. Then first thing Friday morning - like 5am, Jared left our house and went to Jackson's house to pick him up and the 2 of them flew to Newport. They got a rental car and then headed to Cardon's beach house to pick up Eli, Jake and Braxten! Then Jared drove the boys to Magic Mountain! 

First they got lunch, then they went to Magic Mountain for the day just the 4 of the boys running around that place with no cares in the world. When they got hungry for dinner, they called Jared and he picked them up and took them to dinner and then dropped them back off again! The park didn't close till midnight and those boys kept going and going! They had the BEST time!!! 

They loved all the rides, some boys even blacked out for a second or two on the rides and then they would get off and ride it again! Then they crashed in the hotel room and then Jared drove them all back to Newport to drive home with the Jolleys and Cardons and Jared flew home on a 6pm flight! 

Eli is so lucky to have such a good crew of his friends.  Jared said they were all treating him like king of the day since it was his birthday! 

Then on Sunday when I came home from visiting Emma in Utah we did ice cream cake and presents which was his trip he already took - ha ha, the Dodger Dunks he really wanted and the Common Hype outfit he wanted! 

We are so proud to be this boy's parents! He brings us nothing but joy!! Well sometimes he brings us frustrations, but mostly joy! We love the crap out of him!! 

NEWPORT BEACH FALL BREAK!

 Third year in a row and we are back at Newport Beach for fall break. I don't think at this point I will ever be able to stop this! And quite honestly, why would I want to?! These boys seriously look forward to going here every break - because all of Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek go at the exact same time, stay in the same place and basically take over all of Newport! We pretty much only see the boys at night when they are sleeping! 

This year all the families decided to get smaller beach houses so we all buddied up with one other family and that's who you shared with. We shared with the Halls. Adam wasn't going to come so I told Jared he could stay home so Kati and I carpooled over! We had the best time! 

The kids RAN that place! Seashore drive was alive all night long with teenagers running back and forth! We stayed on 48th St this time in a small place but so close to the beach! The weather was perfect. And they all just ran around with friends from sun up to well past sun down! 

At night the place to be with 40th tower! Every teenager was there - until the cops would come and break it up! One night I was checking the boys locations and I see them going 12mph - which was weird. Then all of the sudden they zoom past me on electric bikes with the biggest smiles on their faces. 

These boys and their friends own these streets for the week of fall break and secretly I am jealous and love it! 

Although I did get to have my fun too! Got plenty of Tru Bowl, got to hit Jack's Surf Shop outlet and got to exercise with Kati every day AND I got plenty of vitamin D!

Me and the twins went home on Thursday and left Eli there to stay one more night since he was going to be 16 the next day! here is the picture of the last time I saw him before he turned 16! Sadly, I don't have very many pictures from the trip. mostly because they boys are never around during the trip - ha ha!