Happy hikers.

Rise and shine! This morning the boys and Mom got up bright and early for a hiking expedition at South Mountain. Luke decided that hiking was too slow for him, so he decided to jog most of the way. Reid was all too happy for the free ride in the backpack carrier. Mom was just content to enjoy the fresh air and cool breeze! A hiking we will go!

Latest on the Leahy boys.

The last few months we have been enjoying how much the boys are growing and learning. So here are the latest updates about our little guys.

Luke has been in school for 7 weeks now and absolutely loves it. He's always been a good kid and minded pretty well, but he's been on exceptionally good behavior at home since starting school (let's hope the same holds true for when he's in the classroom). Speaking of, his teacher recently completed a baseline learning assessment with Luke to see how much he knew about the basics ... you know ABCs, 123s, etc. We met with her to find out more about this initial evaluation, and we wanted to hear if he was raising a ruckus in the classroom. She said he's showing preference to writing and cutting with scissors left-handed. We already suspected that! She also said that she wasn't sure what he thought of the music portion of class because he just doesn't sing and doesn't really get into it. (That's probably because they aren't singing the Superman theme song which he hums non-stop at home.) But overall, he received a good report from Mrs. Vallera, and she said he gets along well with the other children in class.

As for Reid, to say the boy is "active" is an understatement. Luke was energetic at this age, but Reid wins the contest for making mom chase him non-stop. Could it be that he's trying to keep up with his big brother?! The best way to illustrate this is with the simple act of climbing. Reid learned to climb our stairs soon after learning to crawl. So he's had about 4 months to perfect the art of climbing. Reid can now hoist himself onto the couch, climb up the back of the couch, and then perch himself on Mom's desk which is backed up to the couch. He makes a nice paperweight ... until he starts ripping paper. The McDonalds Playland is now a favorite of both boys. Reid has found it to be a climbing paradise. Mom has to watch closely because he's been known to start the ascent up into the tubes or up the twisty slide. (Adults don't fit well in those small spaces when trying to retrieve small squirming children.) Oh, and Reid has figured out "what goes up must come down" and can now maneuver his way back down the stairs safely.

We've also seen the boys' friendship developing more, too, and it's adorable. If Reid is napping, Luke will say, "Where's Reidy? I want to play toys with him." One day after picking him up from school, Luke leaned over to Reid in his carseat and said, "Hi, Reid. I'm back from school. Did you miss me?" On the flipside, Reid's greatest entertainer is Luke as he's always able to make his little brother laugh. Reid admires Luke so much and is so intrigued by what he's up to.

It's fun to share a little glimmer of the boys' personalities. We are proud parents!

Road trip & the road less traveled.

Our original weekend plans were to cruise up to Payson for a family camping trip. However, Scott and Jami both ended up with colds, so we rested up on Saturday instead. We took off early this morning for a day trip to Payson to picnic among the pines and then do a little hiking and sightseeing. When we first arrived, the weather was pretty chilly, rainy, and foggy. We enjoyed lunch just up the bank from Christopher Creek and then ventured down the winding trail to explore the creek. The weather had cleared up a bit so we then loaded up our gear and headed up the mountain to the Mogollan Rim and Woods Canyon Lake. Both Luke and Reid are truly at home in the outdoors, and we all appreciated a good dose of fresh air!

Mom and Little Reid Riding Hood.

Dad and the boys make their way across the creek.

After this full day, we decided to start the drive home. (This is where the road less traveled begins.) We noticed a sign that said our highway to return to Phoenix was closed. This seemed a little strange, so we inquired in town and learned an oil tanker had exploded on the highway and it was closed in both directions. We found out more about the detour and off we went. To look on the bright side, we were able to see some parts of the state we'd not yet seen: Roosevelt Dam and Lake, the towns of Miami and Globe and their many antique shops, and the nearby mines. We imagined it would take us a little longer than the normal 2 hours to get home ... but not 4 1/2 hours!! The traffic was very backed up. The boys did well considering, and Mom did her best to keep the boys occupied with bribes of graham crackers & oreo cookies, crazy games involving funny faces, and playing the ring tones on her phone. Oh well. Sometimes memories come both from the road trip and the road less traveled.

Here's a toast.

For 5 years, Scott has been involved in a local Toastmasters club that meets weekly at Motorola. He was a founding member of the Ocotillo Breakfast Club and initially joined to improve his public speaking skills. In the club, he has served as president and has risen the ranks to Advanced Toastmaster Bronze.

Several weeks ago Scott gave a humorous speech about our flooding/fire alarm saga, and he won his club contest. This meant he moved on to the area competition, which was last night. Scott presented the same speech complete with props and many witty jokes! He was competing against 3 other humorous speech contestants ... and he won! Jami surprised him by showing up at the contest to support him (Scott didn't realize she was there until he got up to speak ... luckily that didn't add to his nerves!) He will next speak at the division contest on Oct. 6. Good luck, Scott!

Scott sports his medal along with the other winners and alternates at the Toastmaster contest.

Rockin' out.

We've been to many birthday parties for the boys, but this one takes the cake ... or in this case, takes the stage! Our playgroup pal Levi turned 1, and his birthday party was a full-out rock concert in his front yard. They hired a band of 13-year-olds called Contrast who played cover music (Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.) and they were great! Luke thought the music was a little loud, but Reid was into the scene.

Levi, the birthday boy!

The band.

Mackenzie, Luke, and Owen slurp a snowcone.

Reid takes a front row seat.

Fall is here ... finally.

This week we have finally reached some cooler temps with highs under 100 degrees and can see the end of our hot summer season. While it will still be a while before we bust out the long-sleeve shirts, we can at least open the windows in the morning and go outside without sweating. The boys are so excited to head outdoors each morning after they wake up. Welcome, fall! We're so glad you're here!

One small step for man...

... One giant milestone for Reid! At the ripe old age of 11 months, Reid took his first official steps tonight. He's been cruising like crazy, climbing like a monkey, and standing solo. We thought he was still a ways from taking his first steps, but tonight he proved us wrong! He had a few instances where he was standing on his own. Next thing we knew, he was taking a step ... then two! The target of choice was Dear Ol' Dad. Reid has really taken a liking to Dad lately, so it's fitting that Scott would be the main motivator for this milestone. Mom, Dad, and Luke were all present to witness this first for Reid. We are all so proud of our little guy!

Below is a video of Reid stepping it up. It's super quick and the steps are at the very beginning so you may need to watch it more than once. This video was taken after his actual first steps so he was getting tired.

8 years at Moto.

Eight years ago today, Scott started at Motorola. When he first began, the new hires who were recent college grads were part of a "training class" to get them acclimated to the Motorola experience. There were 17 engineers in his training class, which lasted for 3 months. Scott was part of the last round of new hires and so is one of the youngsters at Motorola today. Scott's career at Motorola has included so many valuable experiences including:

• Traveling to England, Ft. Worth, and Chicago
• Earning his master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford
• Gaining valuable engineering and digital design skills
• Surviving several rounds of layoffs

From time to time, people have asked us, "Just what does Scott do exactly?" His answer ... "I work in the cellular industry. I don't make the cell phones themselves, but I work on the base stations that sit at the bottom of cell phone towers."

So the next time you use your cell phone, thank Scott.

You say it's your birthday.

We enjoyed an early birthday celebration for Charity today. The gals shopped for a bit at Chandler Mall and then met the guys for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. What a fun day!

Fall Fling.

The Phoenix Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta kicked off its year with the Fall Fling event. It was good to get together with long-time Theta friends and meet some of our newest members to the alumnae chapter, too. Jami helped to plan the event, and we all enjoyed spending the afternoon with Theta sisters at a lovely home near the Biltmore.

Jami & Terese at the Fall Fling

Hot diggity dog.

Today we ventured out to Cosmo Dog Park with our friend Terese and her dog Jessie. It was so entertaining to watch all the dogs running, jumping, swimming in the lake, splashing, fetching, barking, etc. While we don't have a dog of our own, both our boys like dogs (especially Reid). Afterward we jetted next door to the Coffee Shop at Agritopia for some breakfast.

Boy's best friend. Reid and Jessie take a rest from playing.

The guys.

Can u canoe?

A canoe ... in the desert? Yes, that's right. Jami and Luke borrowed our neighbors' canoe for an expedition on our community lake this evening. We live about 2 blocks from the boat ramp, so we just wheeled the canoe on its trusty little trailer over to the water. Luke was a great little navigator, and Mom was in charge of paddling. On our excursion, we saw many ducks, dogs, backyard grillers, and a beautiful sunset. As a kid, Jami used to canoe often, so this was a fun activity to pass along to the next generation.

Sunday finest.

All dressed up for church.

What's for dinner?

This was a weekend of dinners with friends! On Friday night, we hosted the Witt family for dinner ... salmon and chicken hot off our smoker. Luke and Owen enjoyed playing, and the younger ones Ella and Reid liked the entertainment of their older, louder siblings.

Two little blondies ... Reid and Ella.

On Saturday night, we ventured next door to our neighbors' house for a birthday dinner party for our other neighbor Sara. It was an Italian feast of chicken spedini and tomato parmesan cappelini ... and a delish birthday cake!

Happy birthday, Sara!

Luke assists our neighbor Jason with churning the homemade ice cream. Actually, Luke was all about the free samples.

Kiddie caddies.

Today Jami and the boys ventured north to Grayhawk Golf Course for lunch with our friends Jenny and Terese (who works at Grayhawk.) Afterward, Luke fed some leftover french fries to the fish in the lake, and these two decided to take this cart out for a spin ... but just around its parking space.

Futbol.

The soccer season has resumed for Scott and Eric. The first game didn't fare so well (they lost 3-0), but at least it was a cooler night to be out and about! The Leahy fan club appreciated that!

A tough goodbye.

This week we bid farewell to an old friend who has been with Reid since the beginning. A great source of comfort and support, this pal helped ease Reid's tears at night and traveled everywhere with us. His buddy would often play hide-and-seek, and Reid was always so overjoyed to find his long-lost friend. So with fond memories we say goodbye ... to the pacifier. Thank you for making our lives a little easier and our baby a little happier, but it's time to say farewell!

Lounging on Labor Day.

Tonight we ventured over to the Meyer home for some swim time & supper. They put in a new pool this summer, so it was an extra special treat to check it out! Luke and Reid enjoyed splashing around with Colby and Lexi. Above is the swim team.

Monsoon!

It doesn't rain often in Arizona. When it does, it pours ... especially during monsoon season! This season is marked by high humidity and frequent evening downpours over small geographic areas (think Charlie Brown rain cloud). Tonight we ventured out for some park time and pizza with our friends the Wellings. The clouds looked a bit dark, but the storms often blow over. Not the case tonight! The storm snuck up on us, and it was raining cats and dogs. We decided to head to the car but had to take cover for about 10-15 minutes under a shelter building to let the worst of the storm pass. Luke is a bit frightened of the rain, but Reid was quite intrigued by it all.



Nate, Truman, Hazel & Abby Welling enjoy splashing in the puddles.



Reid and Mom escape the rain.

Mummy ... and Daddy.

This morning Mom and the boys were running some errands, including a stop at Michael's craft store. We browsed through the Halloween aisle to see all the ghouls and goblins. They had several large props, including a 5 ft. tall mummy ... TWO of them in fact standing side by side.

Jami: "Luke, that sure is a scary mummy, isn't it?"
Luke: "Yes, a scary mummy ... and daddy, too."

Priceless.