AZ in April (2013)

In April the kids and I headed down to Arizona for 10 days. My mom was so kind and offered to come up to SLC and drive down with me so I didn't have to make the 10+ hour drive alone. I am so glad she did. A mud slide had taken out a portion of the road that we usually take, and as a result we had to make a 3 hour detour. Three hours through the desert, without so much as a functioning gas station in sight. It was tough, but we made it.

The kids are really great travelers.

Even Nell, who has the best seat in the house.

Once we finally got to Arizona we received a much anticipated welcome from Brighton. 

And immediately the fun commenced...

(Mason loves to go golfing with my mom and Kim. He mostly just puts, but he LOVES going and he refused to cheat or lie on how many strokes it took for him to get the ball in the hole.)

Jonas LOVED his first real time swimming in the pool.

Mason loves to be thrown in by Grandpa.

This slide has been a hit with the kids. They slide, jump, dive and use the corner underneath as a fort. 

This year we went to the aquarium. We hadn't been there before and we were pleasantly surprised. The kids enjoyed it.

(This is how Mason sat at the "Play/Coloring" area in the aquarium. Ouch.)

I had one goal while we were in Arizona. I wanted to take Mason and Sage on an individual "date". Nic had been studying for boards for months and had gone A LOT. And with Jonas still being so young and needing mommy a lot, I felt like they were feeling a bit neglected. So Mason and I went to the movie "The Croods" and then to get ice cream. We ate it at the park. It was so fun spending time with this boy. He is funny, kind, big hearted and smart. He has a really great sense of humor and is always making us laugh.

Sage decided she wanted to get her fingers and toes painted, then get ice cream and go to the park. She sat perfectly still while the lady painted her nails and she LOVED that she got ice cream with sprinkles. This girl has so much spunk and wit. She is smart, beautiful and a bit crazy. She is willing to do anything and is so determined. I love that about her.

This boy and I got to spend lots of quality time while the kids were entertained by all fun that happens at Grandma's.

This year we decided to finally go back to the Organ Stop. We had last gone when Mason was a just little, and he loved it. I knew Sage would love it and I was excited to take her. The Organ Stop is a big pizza place that has a huge organ in the middle of it. There are bubbles, dancing cats, moving pipes, and all kinds of other fun. The kids loved it and we all danced to the music. My mom danced so much that afterward people came up to her and complimented her on her dancing skills. It was pretty funny.

The rest of the week was spent swimming, going for walks and golf cart rides, making stepping stones and smores, and just relaxing. 

(Mason brings this placemat with us on every walk. It has some of the common plants and animals that are native to Arizona. He loves spotting them in gardens.)

The end.