October - December 2019

We headed into late Fall and early Winter with lots of activity.  Jack and Kate got to do a little trick-or-treating for Halloween, while Anna was working with the ballet company. That work paid off with an outstanding recital for Anna.  Jack and Dad participated in "Cranksgiving", which is a really fun bicycle-based scavenger hunt to purchase food to donate to our local food bank.  On Thanksgiving, all of us ran in the "Race Against Hunger" 5K on Thanksgiving morning; this helped raise funds to support our local food bank, too.  Both Kate and Anna were hard at work rehearsing for The Nutcracker.  Mme. Peticolas shared a great picture of Anna dancing in her Marizpan costume with us, and we are sharing it with you.  As December set in, we got our "sparkle balls" out for Christmas decorations.  This year, we were able to meet up with our cousins and our uncle at Oma and Opa's house in Tucson for Christmas.  We had our own celebration after we got back home to Tuckaho. The year ended with us looking forward to 2020 - including the Nutcracker performance in early January.

Dress up with Oliver

sunset as we finished the corn maze at Exploration Acres

Kate in her spidery-witch costume for Halloween

Jack as Emmett from the Lego Movie - "everything is awesome..."

Anna with bouquet after the Fall recital
(if you look close, you can see Dad in the mirror - he's all dressed up for the ballet, too)

Dad and Jack at the end of Cranksgiving with the food from all the cyclists piling up on the table

this is the "before" picture ahead of the Race Against Hunger; we all were just as happy afterwards  (no, really, we were!)

Anna in her Marzipan (shepherdess) costume for the January 2020 Nutcracker performance (photo from Sandra Peticolas)

our Christmas lights up in early December

experiencing the "Nature of Movement" sculpture near Rillito Park in Tucson

with Oma and Opa, and our cousins on the Tucson Loop trail

heading east on the Loop

celebrating Christmas back home at Tuckaho

July - September 2019

As summer got underway, we were all busy and did not seem to take as many pictures as we sometimes do.  One big highlight was just after Dad started his new position, the rest of us went on a trip that had rock climbing at the via ferrata (way of iron) in Kentucky.  As the calendar moved into August, we started back up with ballet and with our school studies.  One big assignment included a sampling exercise of the living things in our backyard.

our return from the ice cream run

Anna at the via ferrata

Kate and Jack on the via ferrata

Kate making her way across the rock face

Kate with Oliver

someone is going to need that ballet shoe

Anna at the kitchen table

Our environmental science / biology sampling exercise

April - June 2019

As spring really got underway, Jack started playing soccer again. He also enlisted the family to help him with service hours at a nearby park, which moved him closer to Life Scout rank. Kate danced in the ballet school recital as one of the dwarfs in Snow White. Anna then danced with the ballet company in their spring show. Near the end of June, we took a vacation to Arizona, where we visited the Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona before heading down to Tucson to see Oma and Opa. The last weekend in June, Jack headed off for a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch.

Jack at Cary Camp

Jack at soccer

service hours at Celery Bog

The work crew to help spread mulch

Kate in the new "hugglepod"

Piano recital

Kate after the ballet school recital

Jack at BSA court of honor

Anna after the ballet company show

Kate is all smiles

airplane ride to Arizona

North end of Oak Creek Canyon

Bright Angel Trailhead (like the rock says)

a short jaunt down the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point

On the way back out of the Grand Canyon

family near Sunset Crater just before sunset

exploring Walnut Canyon and its cliff dwellings

Oma with Anna

Jack before leaving for Philmont

January - March 2019

January started with The Nutcracker.  Anna and Kate both danced this year.  Kate was one of the toy soldiers in Act I and was one of the Angels who escort Clara and the Prince to the land of sweets at the end of Act I and brings the sled back out at the end of Act II.  Anna danced as Clara this year in two of the three shows; she danced as Tea in the other show.

We got one big snow at the end of January.

February and March kept us all busy with studies and work and other things.  For Spring Break, we were able to take a short trip to St. Louis.  We stopped in Springfield, IL to see Abraham Lincoln's home and then into St. Louis, where the highlight was the City Museum.

A bit later in March, Anna danced in the YAGP competition just outside of Indianapolis.  There was a 4-mile road race nearby, so Dad ran in that while Anna was dancing.  The very last weekend in March, Kate went with Mom and Dad to a kids-day event at the Union.  The highlight was the face painting with airbrush and stencil.

Anna as Clara

Kate as Angel with Anna as Clara

Anna in Tea costume

Anna and Dad

Jack with Anna after the show

lots of snow in late January

Kate and Dad at Abraham Lincoln's house

the Crossley family in Springfield

at the start of our City Museum adventure

Kate is about to disappear down the chute

some creepy green lighting

Everyone is in the fishbowl

No, Jack! No!

Kate in portrait pose

Dad and Mom (and a little bit of Anna) on the way to the top of the 10-story slide

I think Jack has grown quite a bit (he's on a separate stair)

The ladies at the top of the big slide

Kate and Jack got trapped in the cockpit of this old airplane

Kate at the bottom of one of the slides

Jack admiring the view of the City Museum outdoor section

Dad and Mom in their portrait pose

Anna and some of her colleagues before the Indianapolis YAGP

Dad in the Lucky Clover 4-mile race

Dad after the race

Kate with her baby dragon face paint at a kids-day event