Our Field Trip to the Arizona Military Museum

In our history studies, we are just wrapping up learning about World War I and will soon be starting World War II. So, it was only fitting that we take a field trip to the Arizona Military Museum on October 28. At the museum, we learned about Arizona's rich military history--from the Spanish Territorial days until the present conflicts in the Middle East. We had a personal tour from the museum President, Col. Joe Abodeely. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about the entire scope of Arizona's military history. It was clear that he loves the museum, and so did we! When asked what their favorite parts were, the kids unanimously declared that they loved seeing the guns used in each war and of course the full sized combat helicopter which was housed in the East room. This field trip was especially special for us because Grandma Bettie and Dad were able to join us!

Gone Fishin'

Saturday, October 17 was a warm morning, perfect for heading out early to Veteran's Oasis Park for some family fishing fun! The boys were SO excited to try fishing for the first time. Grandpa Ron gave the boys their own fishing poles the week before, and they could hardly wait to try them out! We told several of our friends about our plans to spend the morning fishing, and we were so happy to have them join us! In addition to a fun morning out by the lake, Daniel and Benjamin completed the requirements to earn their Fishing Belt Loops for Cub Scouts. The boys had so much fun, they didn't care that the only catch of the day was caught by Dad and was pretty tiny. After fishing, we hiked around the lake for a while and then it was time to head home!

Family Movie Date!

We love days when Dad doesn't have to work! And, Columbus Day is one of those days! We celebrated this holiday by taking the whole family to the movies! We took in a 3-D, double feature of Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2. Us kids loved watching the movie with the cool 3-D glasses. We loved sitting in the very back row, munching on candy and popcorn, too.

Ethan's Art: Fall 2009

Here are the wonderful things Ethan has made!

Fall Break in the Pines!

Our family had a wonderful time in Pinetop over the Fall Break. We spent five days living in a cabin with three of our favorite families: the Fenders, the Glaziers and the Nails. All 13 kids got along great and loved spending time outside in the cool--playing basketball, swinging in the hammock and discovering nature. The grown ups enjoyed relaxing on the porch, putting together a challenging puzzle and staying up late talking and playing games. We did a family scavenger hunt on Monday--trying to find almost a hundred items in nature. On Tuesday, we went on a family hike along Silver Creek. While on the hike, we saw snakes, trout, a horned lizard, a dead coyote, lava flows and many different types of animal tracks. When asked what our favorite thing about our vacation was, each boy responded confidently, "spending time with friends and family!" What precious memories we all will cherish from our vacation in the mountain pines!

Our First Cub Scout Camping Experience!

We went camping!!! That's right, all six of us (plus our friend Nathan) slept in sleeping bags, in a tent, together in the woods! September 18-19 was Cub Scout Pack 524's annual fall camp out. The Keller Family was in on the fun! The Pack reserved the entire Lewis Canyon Campground and it was packed with Cub Scout camping families. We were thrilled that Benjamin's best friend, Nathan was also able to join our family for two days of adventure. We arrived at the campsite in the late afternoon on Friday and selected the site for our tent and put it up. Then we helped other families set up as they arrived. Then it was time for dinner: hot dogs and chips. Soon afterwards, it got dark--really, really dark! I think we were all surprised at just how dark the woods are at night. We had plenty of lanterns and flashlights, so we were ready to grab our chairs to head over to the opening campfire and flag retirement ceremony, which started at 7:30pm. After the campfire, the Keller boys were ready for bed! So we returned to our tent to bed down for the night. Noah and I went right to sleep, while the three bigger boys stayed up and giggled for an hour or so before falling asleep. Mom and Dad had a harder time sleeping, I don't think they were ever able to get comfortable enough to sleep. Especially since Benjamin and Noah ended up practically sleeping on top of them during the night. An elk herd had bedded down in the meadow behind our campground and they talked to each other all night long. At one time we could hear them walking through our campground. Of course, all of us boys were up at the crack of dawn (literally!). After having breakfast around the campfire, we got ready for the pack-wide hike. The hike was about 2 hours long, and just perfect for our family. When we returned, we were tired, but not completely exhausted. The weather for the hike was beautiful, sunny and warm! But, after lunch, we were in for a big surprise! At first, the thunder was off in the distance, but it kept creeping closer and closer. It was a huge storm, heading right towards us! The thunder rolled, the rain poured and we were even pelted with hail. Fortunately, we were safe and warm inside our tent. But, once the rain let up, the grounds were just a muddy mess and we decided to pull up camp a couple hours ahead of schedule and head home! Our ride home was fairly uneventful. It rained on us steadily until we were a half an hour south of Payson. Oh, and we were pulled over across from Bison Ranch for going 71 in a 55 zone, right after the speed limit changed! Fortunately, Dad was issued only a warning. Hooray for a wonderful adventure and many happy memories. We are looking forward to our next camping adventure together!

Keller Family Bowling Fun!

What's the perfect thing to do on a rainy Saturday morning? Head to the bowling alley!! We had a blast. The six of us bowled together for the first time on Saturday, September 5. Daniel and Benjamin worked on earning their Bowling Belt Loops for Cub Scouts, while Ethan and Noah had fun using the ball ramp. Mom and Dad competed until the very end, with Mom edging dad out for the victory in the 10th frame. It was a great morning of family fun!