Fall at the Arboretum

With our Arboretum pass expiring at the end of the month, we made sure to go every week!

These two are the cutest friends! They have so much fun together.

While Reagan repeatedly refused to have her face painted, these boys loved picking out a new design each week!

Making scary Frankenstein faces!

One Monday, Uncle Jim and Aunt Liz came with us and brought Jacob too (Colin's second cousin)

And we're back to Frankenstein!

Trying to get cute photos of these crazies is almost impossible! 

They just have too much fun together!

Reagan's stink eye!

And the money shot!

Halloween Festivities

We had so many fun Halloween activities this year!

I thought all year long about our costumes and finally settled on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

I figured that with four members of the family and four turtles, it would be the perfect family theme!

Kevin - Michelangelo

Leslie - Rafael

Colin - Leonardo

Reagan - Donatello (or Donatella!)

Plus, I was able to get the kids to help put the costumes together! They were so cute painting their shells!

Our first activity was the Ward Trunk or Treat (not pictured) and the next day we had a double header of parties! First, we hit the Weil Gotschal Halloween Party and had a total blast!

They had carnival games, inflatable obstacle courses, face painting, food, dancing, bounce houses, and caricatures!

I wasn't sure if we would have time to carve pumpkins, but we were able to squeeze it in and Colin LOVED helping daddy make a "funny face"

October 30th brought trick or treating at Mary Kay. These kids are spoiled from real trick or treating forever! they were able to go from office to office throughout three floors of the building and stuff their bags full of candy! 

And then it was finally Halloween day!

It was chilly and with loads of candy already at home, we only made it to a handful of houses before Colin declared he wanted to go home.

Fine by me!

All the pre-Halloween activities definitely kill the excitement of the actual day, but we sure do get a ton of use out of our costumes! 

Back to September

We had a very busy September (and October, and November...)

Here's what kept us so busy!

After my grandfather passed away, Kevin inherited many of his ties (he had quite a collection!)

Kevin had a special bond with Papa Tom and loved talking about everything from politics to the law. Wearing his ties is a fun way to remember such a great man!

While we were in California playing the days away, school started and Colin missed the first two weeks.  Colin would tell me, "Mom, we need to go home, my friends are missing me!"

Unfortunately, he wasn't too happy to actually go home and start school!

Colin has the sweetest teacher this year, Mrs. Cherry!

Play time wears us out!

Daddy missed his kids while he was away for three weeks! Reagan even turned into a daddy's girl upon our return, albeit briefly!

Along with the slightly cooler weather came our weekly trips to the Dallas Arboretum for free face painting, picnics, and the petting zoo.

Fall and spring are lovely here in Texas and so we head to the park as often as we can!

Reagan has even decided that she's big enough to ride on the big kid swing!

 

It was a LONG time in coming, but I finally traded in Ol' Blue for my new cool, sporty minivan White Lighning! 

We love the space our new car has and also the fun new features! I am already addicted to the back up camera and the automatic doors!!

Months ago we bought several passes to Celebration Station and finally found the perfect Saturday with cool weather and without tons of people to use them!

In fact, for the first hour we were the only ones there! It was perfect!

 

Hiding in the closet during a tornado warning!

Papa Tom

Chapman, Perry T. "Tom", beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully at his home in Murrieta, California on Friday, August 29, 2014. Tom was born on February 4, 1924, in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Ruth Catherine Bauer; brother, Dean R. Chapman; and sister, Carmen J. Benson.

Tom loved the game of basketball and played for Los Angeles City College and with the Amateur Athletic Union on a competitive team. During WWII, he served as a Radiosonde Operator with the Army Air Corps. As an avid golfer, Tom participated in many Southern California Golf Association tournaments and especially enjoyed a lifetime of golf games with his wife, Ruth.

Tom's career in the steel fabrication industry spanned more than 45 years. He was the President and owner of Allied Steel Co. in Los Angeles, and was actively involved with the Steel Fabricators Association serving as its President from 1985 until 1987.

Tom was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving as a Bishop in Downey, California and held other positions of church leadership throughout his life.

He is survived by his sons, Bruce (Renee), Brian, Perry (Jeanette); and daughters, Cheryl (Russ), Rider and Marcia Tardiff and his brother-in-law, John J. Bauer. He loved his 17 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 11 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 38980 Sky Canyon Drive, Murrieta , CA 92563. A private family burial service will be held at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.

When I arrived to California, Papa Tom had been in the hospital for a little while for some kidney problems and had had surgery to put a stint in to take care of a aneurysm in his stomach. He wasn't doing well, so that evening we went to visit him.

Papa Tom was still sharp as ever, but exhausted.

We visited for a little while with many of my cousins, aunts, and uncles present.  Even though the circumstances weren't great, I was glad to see many of them since I hardly ever do.

Before we left, we had a family prayer around Papa Tom's bedside. 

I held my sweet Papa Tom's hand, knowing that this may be our goodbye for this life.

Thankfully, I was able to go visit him at home one last time the next day.

He died peacefully at home two days later, with his eldest son, Bruce, at his side along with dozens of pictures of his beautiful bride, Grandma Ruth, his children, and grandchildren to guide him home. 

Unfortunately, the timing was such that I knew that I would be in Prague during the funeral.

In fact, Papa Tom knew it too.  When I visited with him, he knew all about my upcoming trip and asked me several times when I was leaving and returning. He knew the timing wasn't good, but I was so glad to be there to visit with him.  I will treasure that.

Since I wasn't at the funeral and don't have pictures of it, here are some of my favorites with Papa Tom

Perry Kevin Chapman, Steven Perry Chapman holding Cody Perry Chapman, and Perry Thomas Chapman hanging out all watching golf (so typical of them, it makes me smile)

Whenever I could, I would try to squeeze in a visit to Papa Tom

 

I was able to surprise Papa Tom and be there for his 88th birthday party!

I actually came straight from the airport!

These were taken last summer with my cousin Valerie and her kids 

Love these boys!