April 2009

I went to Utah, sans kids, for a week for aromatherapy classes. While I was there...I saw my good high school friend Aaron and met his awesome wife Brenda and their two darling girls, Emma and Allison.

Phoenix Zoo (March 2009)

Natalee liked watching the sting rays at Sting Ray Bay swim around and around and around!

Brady thought that sting rays were great fun!

Natalee, Savanna and Alek at Sting Ray Bay.

Brady has a love/hate relationship with the water- it was freezing, but he could not stay away!

Alek made friends with a squirrel that was interested in his map of the zoo. Maybe he was lost?

Pima Air and Space Museum

For spring break (March 2009) we wanted to go to the Desert Sonora Museum...but the line to buy tickets was about 45 minutes long...so we decided to head over to the other side of Tucson to look at airplanes!

Alek and Natalee outside the Pima Air and Space Museum

Outside Air Force One used by Kennedy and Johnson from 1961-1965

Inside Air Force One- Technology has come quite a long way!

Natalee's Baptism

The happy family! Alek (10), Brandon, Natalee (8!), Liz, Brady (2)

Savannah, Natalee and Heather were all baptised the same day.

January, 24th 2009 Natalee was baptized!
January 7th, 2009- Natalee turned eight years old!
January 5th, 2009- Brady turned two years old!
December 21st, 2008- Alek turned 10 years old!

The Hieroglyphics Trail

In January, 2009 Liz took the kids for a hike on the Hieroglyphics Trail in the Superstition Mountains. Alek complained most of the way up the trail, "I'm not going to make it, I'm so hungry," "I'm going to pass out," "Please, can't we go back, I can't do this". Then of course he saw the end in sight (and heard there was water there) and he ran up ahead. He made it to the end of the trail at least 20 minutes before his mom, sister and brother did. Once we were there, we didn't stay long, the rocks were so slippery that, even while sitting down, Brady would start to slip toward the water. On the way back, Brady had to be carried the entire way! Go super Liz! (Yep, I carried him all by myself.) And Alek even said he was glad we went...oh the drama!

Halloween 2008

Alek, the storm trooper!













Brady the turtle! He was especially happy when the costume came off! I think I managed to keep him in it for about 10 minutes.




Natalee as Tinkerbell, wearing the costume her mom made for her. Her mom even did a semi-bang up job giving Natalee a tinkerbell style hair do.

The kids had a great time!

The Peralta Trail

In October of 2008, the Peak family went for a hike on the Peralta Trail, in the Superstition Mountains. We had a great time - once we arrived at the saddle and we could easily see Weaver's Needle. The kids found a great place to play and Liz found some shade! The trip down was rough! Liz's knee wasn't fully recovered from the Humphrey's Hike - so the pain was re-lived on this hike. Brady was too tired to walk at all on the way back, and due to Liz's knee pain - she couldn't carry him for long, so....Mighty Brandon came to the rescue and carried Brady most of the way back along the 3 mile trail. (Actually, I'm not sure how long the trail is - it's still a topic of debate! - It felt like 20 miles, up hill both ways, in the SUN!) Believe it or not - we had a great time, just being together as a family!