Adventures of Autumn.

Falcon football.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, we are blessed by the village that surrounds us ... our great neighbors. We socialize often while the kids play. We plan neighborhood dinners and impromptu get-togethers. We watch each other's kids in a pinch. We take care of our village, and our village takes care of us.

Over the past year, we have shared so many fun memories with our neighbors. This past Saturday brought a new adventure -- an Air Force football game -- complete with tailgating, jets flying over, parachutes, and a big win by the Air Force Falcons over Army! This was also a special milestone for Luke and Reid -- their first football game!

Our tailgating crew!

Kat & Jami

Kindergarten buddies Abi & Luke.

(When Luke goes on his first date,

let's hope Reid doesn't tag along and eat snacks!)

Tiny tailgaters ... Luke, Braeden & Jacob.

The grillmasters Scott & James.

Our tailgate had a special treat --

James made homemade brats!

Good grub!

The cadets rushed down on the field to do push-ups

each time after the Falcons scored!

Little Air Force fan.

Mama & Luke cheer on the Falcons.

*Special thanks to our neighbor Melissa who shared some great photos with us!

Dino-mite Adventure.

The weather this week has been gorgeous, so we took a little road trip over to Woodland Park for a dino-mite adventure at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center. They have a great collection of displays, hands-on exhibits, video presentations, and even a working fossil laboratory.

The boys stand beneath a large sea turtle.

(It had a much more complicated name actually...)

The boys and a dino friend (with some big teeth ... EEK!)

This outdoor dino is trudging through some

of last week's snow that still remains in Woodland Park.

Trick or Treat!

Carving pumpkins at Papa's house.

It seems we've been anticipating Halloween for months. The boys decided long ago what they wanted to be for Halloween, so it was as though the festivities could not get here fast enough! We decided to take it a step further to incorporate costumes for the whole family within the same theme. Enjoy the photos that follow ... and may the force be with you!

The Leahy family in Star Wars style!

At Chewbacca's day job as an engineer,

his company hosted a family trick-or-treat event.

This is Chewbacca in his "casual Friday" work attire!

Yoda (Reid) & Anakin Skywalker (Luke)

Off to fight some evil forces in the snow!

These 2 Jedi Knights gave Princess Leia

a ride on the sled!

Yoda Snowda.

Chewbacca & Co.

We had a crazy week of weather leading up to Halloween.

We had 2 snow days mid-week and a late start day on Friday,

but the weather cooperated just in time to have

Luke's party at school. Check out all the great costumes!

Name That Tune.

One funny side of Reid's personality is that he loves to sing. Loudly. He has been known to belt out a tune in the grocery store. At school. Whenever the mood (or melody) strikes him. His repertoire mostly includes hits by John Williams. Who?! You know ... the guy who wrote the theme songs for Superman, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars! Enjoy Reid's performance in this video, a fun snapshot of his musical side at age 3. (Oh, and you might need to turn your volume down for this one. Remember ... he sings loudly.)

The brothers.

There is one constant that we can always count on ... Luke and Reid to keep us on the go. The following photos are a compilation of the brothers' adventures from the past month ... some pics are from our time in Kansas, others from our early snow in Colorado.

While in Kansas, Aunt Janette and Uncle Dick

took the boys to an alpaca farm...

... and to an outdoor museum with a train ...

... that also had a lot of antique farm equipment.

(Thanks for the photos, Aunt J!)

Reid chauffeurs Wild Man Luke,

while driving the 4-wheeler at Dalton's house.

Funny faces all around.

Hot cocoa break.

Birthday boys.

In October, we are lucky to have 2 birthdays to celebrate. Back to back. Father and son. Reid and Scott. Happy 3 and 33, guys!

Candles in Swedish pancakes (Reid's favorite!)

Candles in Wheat Chex (Dad's favorite!)

Stop buggin' me, brother!

Luke gave Reid these cool bug-eyed glasses.

Feliz cumpleanos! Birthday dinner out at Salsa Brava.

Mosaic of memories.

During our 4 days back in Kansas for Mom's funeral, we shared so many stories and tears and memories and hugs. We spent the Saturday afternoon of the funeral gathered with friends and family in a small country church surrounded by cornfields and wide open sky -- such a peaceful setting. The service was such a fitting tribute celebrating Mom's life, distinguished by her gracious acts of service and love for her family & friends. We knew the day would be emotional, but it's hard to put into words the incredible support we felt -- those who traveled long distances to be with us, friends we hadn't seen in years, loved ones who so faithfully supported our family throughout Mom's battle with cancer, and all those who sent heartfelt condolences. It was quite remarkable to consider how a lifetime of people so meaningful to our family gathered together for that bit of time to remember how Mom had touched their lives. The stories and memories we've heard since Mom passed away have created this beautiful mosaic of her life's story, which we will hold dearly in our hearts forever. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

In Memory

It is with great sadness we share that Jami's mother Dixie passed away Friday morning about 9 a.m. after a long battle with cancer. She faced her cancer with such a courageous and positive spirit. We feel so fortunate that we were able to share so many memories with her, especially since our move to Colorado nearly 2 years ago. She will forever be remembered for her gracious spirit and service to others.

Her funeral services will take place next Saturday, Oct. 17 at Zion Lutheran Church, 1521 Prairie Road in Everest, Kansas. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m., and the funeral will begin at 2:30 p.m. Jami's parents grew up in that area and spent much of their lives in Kansas, so it's fitting for her final resting place to be there.

::::::: Obituary :::::::

Dixie J. Nelson, age 66, of Colorado Springs, CO, died Oct. 9, 2009, after a 10 year battle with cancer.

Dixie was born March 25, 1943, to Jake and Ruby Angle in Sabetha, KS. She graduated from Horton High School in Horton, KS. On Sept. 4, 1965, she married James Nelson at the First Christian Church in Horton, KS. The two made their home in Northeast Kansas for many years.

After graduating from Trinity Lutheran School of Nursing in Kansas City, MO, Dixie practiced nursing for 44 years in the areas of public health, school nursing, geriatric, and hospice care. She possessed excellent nursing skills, professional judgment, and common sense, which were combined with a very caring and sympathetic attitude toward her patients.

Dixie was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. She enjoyed cooking and sewing for her family. She especially enjoyed traveling with her husband, and they had many wonderful adventures together. Her happy personality, friendly smile, and kind words will always be remembered.

She is survived by her husband Dr. James Nelson of Colorado Springs, CO, daughter Dr. Briana (Craig) Goff and grandson Dalton of Wamego, KS, daughter Jami (Scott) Leahy and grandsons Luke and Reid of Colorado Springs, CO, a sister Janette (Dick) Edgley of Elmhurst, IL, and brother Max Angle of Clarksville, GA.

She was preceded in death by her parents. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to be given to a hospice care organization of the family’s choosing.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Grand" guests.

Our 3rd round of family visitors flew in this week ... the Keary grandparents. We were fortunate to spend several days with Mimi Margie & Papa Ted, who were in town to attend Ted's 30th class reunion at the Air Force Academy. One of the festivities involved a luncheon with the cadets. Imagine 4,000 people. All dressed in camo. Eating in one large dining hall. In 20 minutes! The luncheon was impressive, structured, and efficient ... and quite memorable for us all! Luke loved getting an inside look at what he's nicknamed the "co-pilot school."

Margie and Ted surrounded by tables

of cadets in Mitchell Hall.

Luke and Reid loved the fact that the cadets

had chocolate milk at lunch. Yum!

Luke and Mimi Margie in front of the chapel

on this cold and snowy day!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

October is a bit like Christmas for us because we have so many birthdays in this month. We were glad to celebrate 3 of the birthdays together ... Reid, Scott & Margie! Remember those lyrics, "You say it's your birthday ... it's my birthday, too!" That could be our family theme song for October.

Reid huffed and puffed and tried to blow out the candles...

until they flickered on again. Gotta love trick candles!

The birthday bunch ... Scott, Reid, and Margie.

Family foto.

Reid gets ready to open his gift

from the KC Leahy crew.

fAll in the family...

Fall in Colorado not only brings beautiful colors in the changing leaves ... but also more visits from our family! Scott's Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Bruce were in Denver this weekend for a conference. They journeyed down to Colorado Springs on Friday evening, and then we went to Denver today to visit with Mary Ann while Bruce was in meetings. It is always such a joy to catch up with them!

Lions and tigers and boys ... oh my! Bruce and Mary Ann

brought these fun furry friends for Luke and Reid.

On Sunday during our time in Denver, we went to the Great Pumpkin Harvest Festival in Four-Mile Historic Park. The activities took us back in time as we panned for gold and learned how to weave on a loom. We also enjoyed some autumn adventures as we checked out the pumpkin patch and took a horse-drawn hayrack ride.

The boys and Mary Ann took a peek in the root cellar ...

a perfect place for settlers to store canned goods.

"Reid, did you find any gold yet?"

A family lesson learning to weave on a loom.

We love fall!

2 brothers + bunches of bales of hay!

P is for pumpkins and a perfect fall day!