Hudson had his 8th (yes 8th!) birthday in September. He had a blast with several of his friends at a place called Makutu's Island.
The boys had done a summer reading program through our library which allowed them to earn tickets to an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game. We went in September and although the hometown team lost, it was a fun game and a fun family experience.
Labor Day weekend we ventured to Los Angeles to Knottsberry Farm amusement park. Although a lot of the lines were long, the boys (and their parents) had a great time. Keaton, of course, liked all the train rides, Landon liked the water rides, and big-stuff Hudson got to go on Ghost Rider - a big wooden roller coaster - with Rick. It's a really fast coaster and like most wooden roller coasters it beats up the riders a little. Hudson appeared to be scared to death the whole ride but got off with a smile on his face saying he loved it. The photo that they take on the first big hill of the riders was priceless: Hudson looked white as a sheet! He was a brave guy though and handled it a lot better than many adult women we saw getting off it.
Back to school this fall was a bigger deal, as Landon joined Hudson at Desert Sun Academy. They have red, white, and blue shirts for their uniforms and although the picture below shows them in different colors the first day, they have coordinated their colors on their own every day since then. Landon has the same Kindergarten teachers as Hudson has and seems to really like school. He's really impressed us with how well he's done. He, like Hudson was, is now into writing and illustrating homemade books at home. Hudson continues to do very well in school and enjoys second grade. His teacher is pretty strict so she's not his favorite but he still enjoys it. He's reading at a 5th grade level and is very into reading (likes the Hardy Boys mysteries right now) and is also on a second-grade basketball team. Keaton misses his brothers during the day but likes having his mommy (and the toys) to himself all day.
October brought Halloween and Harvest festivals at some local churches. At the first one, Landon add his hot dog and candy so fast and bounced on so many bouncers that he threw up on the way home (Kathryn knew it was coming luckily so it was into a bag). He paced himself at the second one and everyone had a wonderful time. Keaton was a puppy, Landon a pirate, and Hudson a firefighter.
November brought NASCAR to town. Hudson, Landon, and Rick went to the 400 mile race and sat directly opposite the pits. Hudson's favorite had a great race and was in the top 5 when he ran out of gas and had to pit one lap before the finish and dropped way back. Landon's favorite driver did pretty well, finishing in the top 10, and Keaton's favorite (though he only heard about it later) crashed and was out of the race. It was a good time (and loud!)
December brought a very sad time for our family. Rick's sister Bonnie, who had battled leukemia for about a year and a half, went home to be with the Lord in early December. She had undergone a bone marrow transplant a year prior but suddenly developed a severe infection and lost her transplanted bone marrow. Her husband and three teenage children are having to adjust to a huge change as we all are to a lesser degree. Bonnie was a fantastic Christian woman and it was amazing to see the impact she'd had on so many lives at her memorial service. Nearly 1,000 people attended. She will be so missed but walked worthy of the calling she'd received.
And, of course, December brought Christmas. It was a wonderful day. The kids had a great time with gifts they loved. Aunt Kerry and Grandma Gray were around Christmas morning. The atmosphere was a little tempered for the adults because of Rick's sister's death, but the joy of the boys overcame it all.
We're looking forward to what God has for us in 2011 and can't wait to connect with all of you.
