Phelps FHE Slip n Slide!

My Mom has a bunch of cousins  that all live in Mesa and they all get together once a month for a huge  FHE night (like 80 people big).  They were nice enough to invite us and include us into their family. This was our first month and it was so fun!  They string together 5 bilboard signs and use the fire hose and some baby soap to slide down the hill.  

Allie would only go down on my back, so I made a lot of trips running and then sliding onto my stomach, and my hips took the brunt of the damage bleeding and bruised, but totally worth it.  Hadley liked sitting on Dad's lap while going down the hill.  

Allie's First Day of Preschool!

School in Mesa started the week of August 6th, basically the middle of summer!  Crazy!  So, Allie started Preschool August 14th and goes Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday mornings from 8:30-11:30 at Miss Stacey's Preschool.  Allie LOVES school!  The first day she had a little tough time because most of the other kids were all in the same class last year, but she has quickly made new friends.  Miss Stacey does Zoo Phonics and Allie loves learning the new songs and all the art projects!  Most of the other kids are already 4, but Allie is one smarty pants so she is not far behind, we just need to work on our scissors skills. It is great for Allie to have some new friends as she is desperately missing Madison, her best friend as she tells me all the time.  

We still just have one car so the girls hop in the bike trailer and we bike to and from school and I actually really enjoy it.  I come home a bit sweaty, but once the cooler weather rolls around in a couple of months, I think it will be perfect.  The girls even ask to go on rides when we don't have to go to school, so we will bike on over to the park or for a joy ride or to the gas station for a little treat.  Man, I feel like I am 10 years old again with biking as my main transportation and the gas station as my treat vendor.  :)  Too bad the one right by us only has Mountain Dew and Pepsi slurpees.... maybe we'll have to venture out a bit because a good slurpee can solve many woes.  

 Every picture that I tried to get, Allie kept saying, "School!"  She sure looked cute on her first day, crazy how time flies!

I Love to See the Temple

There are many a Sunday when 5 o'clock rolls around and the girls have had it and need to get out.  Enter the Mesa Temple Visitor Center.  We have made numerous visits already to walk around the grounds and watch a video or view the exhibits in the visitor center.  There is nothing like a little dose of the temple's spirit to make us all a bit happier again.  Once this desert cools down a bit more, maybe we can stay out on the grounds a bit longer. 

Sunday Best

The girls looked exceptionally cute this Sunday morning, and a bit silly so we took some pictures before heading out to church.  We love being close to church now and not having to leave 30 min before church starts.  

This is Hadley's new "cheese" face.   

 Everyone take a good look, because I actually got a picture with both girls looking!

 I just love profile pictures and I think Allie has such a sweet profile.  I love my girls!

A Brand New Car! (in your best Price is Right Voice)

When we moved to Arizona, we brought along our Mitsubishi Lancer which we have had our whole marriage and although it had seen better days, it was still chugging along.  Well, upon moving here, The AC intermittently died, and not only did it not blow out cool air, but it blew out H-O-T-T air! The catalytic converter (necessary in AZ by law), after "fixing" it, died, along with the things that were wrong with it before - No heat, cd player button only going up, poor gas mileage, etc.  The straw that broke the camel's back was the AC not working after I was out and about all day with the girls and we had just spent a couple of hours at the Arizona Museum for Youth and we needed to go pick up Mike form Work, about a 20 min ride there and 30 min home.  The AC decided to poop out and blow heater air.  It was 115 (ish, but something like that) and we had to ride on the freeway with the windows down blowing 115* air at the girls.  To say there was drama would be an understatement.  

Eventually, both girls fell asleep and I waited in the car at the VA Hospital waiting for Mike because I didn't want to wake up the girls.  On the ride home both girls woke up and were a hot mess, literally and emotionally.  We stopped at a gas station that had a Subway in it to have dinner and wait for the sun to go down a little more so we would not bake.  Upon entering the gas station, the attendant asked us if we were okay, gave the girls free cups of water and I am sure were about to all child services for thinking we were abusing our children with heat.  An icee later and some good Subway, we were all cooled off a bit and the car had been shaded for a while so we were able to survive the ride home.  

This was not the first time our car had done this.  For 2 weeks prior, Mike had driving home sometimes having AC, sometimes not.  Needless to say, we spent the next weekend car shopping and came home with this...

It is a 2013 Hyundai Sonata and has tinted windows (a must in AZ) AC, cruise control and gets great gas mileage.  When we got to the car lot, the sales lady asked what I needed in a car and I said AC, tint and an Ipod dock, all of which come standard.  We are pretty picky I tell ya.  We traded in our old car and got a whopping $500 for her.  The funny thing was that the whole time while filling out all the paperwork, the finance guy asked Mike if he was happy about it, and Mike said no, it just means I have to spend money!  I love that about him!

Everyday Life

Since moving to Arizona, we have been homebound a bit more than before, so we have been playing a lot at home and actually getting more done at home - my house has never been cleaner because I might as well clean it if I am home so much!  A benefit of being home is that I get to see my girls become good friends, and I love it!  It is so cute to see Allie want to help Hadley, sharing her toys or food with her and making sure she gets her turn.  The other day when Hadley woke up, she immediately started asking for Allie when I got to her room.  Thanks Had, I love you too :).  Hadley says Allie's name as "A-EEEE" and it is so cute to hear her calling for her buddy.

I know this is totally random, but I found a little produce shop that has SUPER cheap produce, not all of it pretty but it all tastes good.  I got all of this produce for $18!  It is the little things in life that make me happy, and I guess healthier!

 Princesses are a big part of our lives and we love to dress up!  

 Have you seen the Little Mermaid 7, Ariel the Fire Chief?  It is a good story line....

Hadley's Eyelashes are SOOO long, and gorgeous!  Her eyes are not quite as blue as they used to be, but still amazing.

 One Sunday night we were dressing up and Allie wanted me to put on her princess dresses with her.  I went and pulled out my old high school prom dress and played princess with her.  Allie thought it was pretty awesome that I have my own Rapunzel dress just like hers.