Saturday, September 24, 2011

My annual trip to Arizona

Back in July I made my 3rd annual trip to Arizona with my dad & step-mom. We stay with my favorite Aunt Candi and Uncle Gary. However, Uncle Gary has only been there 1 day out of the 15 I've stayed so far. He is always traveling for work. We miss him but we still have a great time. Each year I love Arizona more and more. I know why my family that lives there, stays there.

Let me tell you about the plane ride. For 3 months I've worried about this plane ride. I wasn't worried that the plane would be hijacked or that we would be in some horrific crash. No, my worry was that the seat belt wouldn't fit across my lap. Let me explain something to you. I worry...A LOT! Over the most ridiculous things. I drive myself crazy. It consumes me. So for 3 months I drove everyone crazy asking if they thought I'd fit in a seat belt. In my mind I'm the largest person on the aircraft. I tried to look up the lengths of the seat belts on the Internet. I am crazy, I know. In case you are wondering, I did fit. ;)



My view from the plane


We're getting closer!
The first evening we ate at Harold's in Cave Creek. I'm convinced there is no bad place to eat in Phoenix. As we were talking to the waitress, she said, "Oh, oh...the menu is on fire!" Had she not noticed, I'm convinced we would have had a full fledged fire going on.


For the record, it was step mommy, Rhonda, who caught it on fire.

They have an amazing outdoor shopping center just down the road from Candi. As I browsed through The Childrens

Place, Candi & Rhonda waited patiently in the dressing room. Pinnacle Peak Patio

One of the houses we purchased...I wish


I forget the name of this rock formation.


These were taken while in a moving vehicle. They didn't turn out too bad.








BLACK WIDOW! This was at aunt Candi's house! If I would have seen a tarantula I would have been out of there. Yes, I know black widow's are deadly but the thought of a huge hairy spider is too much.


Cousin Lainie's son, Kaden


Lainie's husband, Jess & their youngest, Blake





Cousin Amy's youngest son, Ben







Amy's oldest, Mason








These next few shots are of Amy & her husband's John, new house. It is absolutely awesome!


Amazing architecture



Their bathroom was bigger than our living room...




I'm pretty sure I could handle it




Their crazy huge master bedroom

The views from their backyard



Lainie and Jess's rockin' pool!










WARNING: THE IMAGE BELOW IS GRAPHIC! IF ANYTHING, I HOPE YOU LEARN A LESSON (But lets be honest, I'm sure it will happen to me again...it wasn't the first time)




I always leave 2 days earlier than Dad & Rhonda & fly back by myself. I get nervous that my kids need me (not that you aren't doing a great job, honey ;) and so I only stay 4 nights instead of 6. I think God is trying to tell me to stay those 6 nights because the last 2 years something has happened the day before I am supposed to leave. Last year I got crazy sick...throwing up & the poops and it lasted all day. This year, I woke up to find this....




Yep...that is me. I had a feeling my eyes would be swollen. This is caused from not wearing your sun glasses while in 115 degree desert heat. Go ahead and laugh, I did too. I woke up to look at the time and thought, "Well, crap!" When I walked out to the living room, dad was sitting on the couch drinking his coffee and he looked up like, "Oh my!" Luckily by the end of the night most of the swelling had gone down. My dad & I...we have this unhealthy infatuation with the sun. It's a sickness I tell you. All summer long we worry about how dark we are getting. I know..unhealthy. You can tell we are the tourist's because we are the darkest. I've seriously had someone say to me, "I didn't know your daddy was black". He's not.




Dad & I (for the record, it has been 2 months since I went & I'm now white as a ghost...I hate it)





Me, dad & Rhonda

Candi & dad (she likes the sun, too)

Aunt Candi & I

Dad & Rhonda Candi & Rhonda




Until next year...where maybe, just maybe, I will stay until & dad & Rhonda leave!

Friday, September 23, 2011

And here we go...

Let's hope we don't get it....

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Five!

How is it even possible that my three are 5 years old?! Only July 1, my toddlers became kids. We had their party at the aquatic center in town. This, my friends, has been the 3rd year I've tried to rent this place out. It finally happened! I rented it out way back in March (when it was still snowing). A shout out to my mom for that. When you work in the community & know everyone like she does, things go easier. And, it was a hot summery DRY day. What a great night we had. It was so nice to be able to rent the place out for ourselves. This place is usually PACKED daily during the summer. There is no way I could take the kids during the days because there is only one of me & three of them & I would lose them for sure.


Izzy, Jasper & Jonah

Isabel with my step niece, Ashlynn. Anytime Isabel wears a bikini she says, "I look like Ashlynn". Anytime I wear my bikini I think the same thing. Yea, right...bikini!


We have grams (my grandma), Ruth (Nate's grandma), Mark (Nate's dad) and my aunt Linda in this pic.

My dad..check out the perfect chest spot on his tee. My step sister who was ready to pop


Our great neighbors, Jeannie & Dale. They have 2 sons, Sam & Quentin

Isabel






Jasper & our friend, Cainan Cainan giving Jas a ride





My mother in law..enjoying watching the kids play
My dare devil, Jonah. They weren't allowed to wear life jackets or wings going down the slides (which were in the deep end). He was cool with that. Nate would be at the end to help him. He did great!

Nate with Jonah & Simon


Nephew Trevor
And dare devil Mark (father in law) going down the slide
Look at that perfect form
Friend, Brian
Nephew, Will
Nephew, Nick

Nate and one of the kids getting body slammed
Isabel & my niece, Kayla...such beauties!

Jasper

Isabel and Nate's grandma, Ruth
My dad & step mom
The cake..I wanted to get them each their own separate cakes but everything ended up falling thru and I had to pick up a last minute cake at the grocery for all of them.









We went back to the house to open presents. I knew none of them would want to take the time out we had at the pool to open gifts. So, whoever wanted to come back to our house afterwards, could.




I'm not quite sure what Jasper's smile was for the day. I promise, he really is cute ;)