We drove this year, which even turned out to be OK. We went to Las Vegas, NM on Friday and spent the night after driving through some blinding snow and then went the rest of the way on Saturday. We got in at about 5 p.m. and the kids were in the pool within 5 minutes of arrival. They played in the pool til dark and then we grabbed a pizza for dinner.
Ready to crash at our hotel
Green grass!
From car to pool in 5 minutes after arrival
Sunday was a casual day--went for a run, hung out at the pool and the boys played catch. I love my running trail in Scottsdale--a dirt path right along a canal that is lined with orange trees. The orange blossom smell was unreal this year. So amazing! We BBQ'd that night and went for an evening swim and then watched a movie. I found some swim caps for the girls because by the end of day 1, their hair was already completely GREEN. They weren't too thrilled with it, but it worked and they loved not having green hair all week. I also found t-shirt type swimsuits that were super cute and kept them from getting fried.
Green hair solution
Home away from home
A nighttime dip in the pool
By Monday, the kids had made friends with several other kids from other parts of the country and Canada who were visiting. They usually see a few kids during the week while we are there, but this time was kids galore! They became instant friends and their pool days were now revolving around when the other kids would be there. The weather was about 82 each day and perfect. On Monday, we took a picnic lunch to the park and watched some of the Giants Triple A club practice. We stood at the fence and watched them take batting practice and were so close, we could hear the coaches and their conversations. Kinley decided she wanted to learn to catch and by the end of the day, she was getting it all figured out. Of course, we hit the pool in the afternoon and then went to Macayo's for a yummy mexican food dinner that night and to Yogurtland after that.
Giants Triple A team
Learning to play catch
Is she cute or what?
Kinley's new buddy, Julia - their birthdays are only days apart.
Yogurtland!
Tuesday, we went to our favorite park affectionately known as the "duck park" because there are ducks, geese, swans and pigeons everywhere. They feed them a loaf of bread and played on the playground while Doug and I ran together. It was the hottest day, so off the pool we went and got take out for dinner.
Feeding the ducks
The duck park
Wednesday was my 30 something birthday and Kaiya and I had planned all week to climb Camelback Mountain again. We did it in less than an hour this time and she amazed me. The first 2/3 of the hike is mostly a train with some rocks, but the last 1/3 is all free climb with some tricky footing and navigating. I guess her nickname is Monkey Girl for a reason. It was a fun way to pretend I'm not getting old and the pool felt awesome afterward! The funny part, though, was when we got back Cooper had this look on his face like, "I can't be shown up by my sister." He was deep in contemplation. Next thing we knew, Doug and Coop headed back to climb themselves. Cooper did great, too, and now we have to get Kinley to the top next year. Fortunately, the competitive bug hasn't hit her yet and she was quite content to just cheer us on. That night, we went to dinner at a fun place called Pinnacle Peak where the whole place has a western theme. They had a band and the girls danced and had a ball. After we convinced them it was time to go, we stopped for ice cream at the Gelato Spot and came home and crashed.
On the way up the mountain
Looking up at the very top. . . almost there!
A one minute rest stop
Go, Monkey!
We made it!
The boys made it, too!
Pinnacle Peak for dinner
The girls loved the dance floor!
Another ice cream shop
Thursday was our last full day and the weather was supposed to be crappy. Well, they were wrong! It was cooler, but still sunny and gorgeous so we headed to Mesa to watch the Rockies play the Cubs. We sat in the grass just past the outfield fence and had a great time. Even Kinley was getting into the game. Atta girl!! :) Had to do a little shopping that afternoon, went to Baja Fresh for dinner and the Sugar Bowl (Scottsdale's famous ice cream shop) and then let the kids do a last hurrah at the pool.
Kinley's new hat . . she wouldn't take it off
The Cubs spring training site
For a picture only - not a true Cubs fan
Right behind Seth Smith
Taking it all in
Our beloved Sugar Bowl on our last night
We left at about 11 a.m. on Friday and drove the whole way home, getting in at about 2 a.m. Long, long drive but the kids were awesome and the drive is really pretty in places. Gotta love DVDs, iPods, DS games, etc.
I get a little melancholy every year when it's time to come home. I hate leaving. Guess it's time to start looking forward to next year already!!
5 comments:
Sounds like a great way to spend your birthday! Hope it was a good one. Good thing you got all that running and hiking in with all the ice cream you ate. :)
You guys really know how to vaca!! One of these days we wont have a baby and we will start vacationing too!! So glad you guys had a good time and glad you had a good bday!
That does look like alot of fun! What a perfect way to spend Spring Break!
PS I really love that first picture... The color of the water is amazing!
Looks like a great time! Those are the best memories as a family.
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