A Cold Day at the Arboretum

Jeff's parents are here visiting and we're having so much fun exploring Arizona and doing lots of stuff where you walk and learn.  Yesterday Jeff and I joined them at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  It was super cold on the mountain that day.  (Like sleeting on our faces cold.)  That didn't stop us from taking a two hour tour with Clyde and some couple from Iowa.  I decided all my pictures looked best in black and white.

This is before it was sleeting and we were all cold.  Jeff and Pops were feeling pretty good about themselves.

Patti looking like a teenager.

Pops and I called dibs on the umbrellas.  No shame.

This is Jeff's "You can take a picture of me, but I'm not going to look happy" face.  Adorable.

This is his "Clyde just got super excited about a bird again" face.

There were some pretty spectacular views along the way.

I was so happy for Jeff to get to spend some one on one time with his parents.  Except I was there, too, so not exactly one on one.  Also, there are two of them, so . . . nevermind.

The arboretum was founded by Colonel William Boyce Thompson.  He built this house for his New York socialite wife, Gwendolyn.  She hated it and the desert.  The end.

I mean how cute are they?

Answer: so cute!

Maybe someday Jeff and I will be that cute.  #goals

Boney Bash 2015

A few days after Christmas, my sister, Allyn, and her family of nine drove all the way from Virginia to visit us.  They're so adventurous!

Our kids were so happy to have cousins to play with all the livelong day.

Denham totally knows his way around a kitchen.  Most impressive.

Adam got Settlers of Catan for Christmas, so the kids showed the Boneys how to play.  It looked painful.

We took them to the Superstition Mountain Museum for some historical funtimes.  Everyone spun a wheel to try and win a ride on this donkey.

Lilja was the big winner!

I think she's engaged to this old dude now.

They're going to live happily ever after.

This place had everything!

I spend most of my day alone, so being a part of this parade was a real treat.

Allyn and Aron are so game for anything.  It's truly inspiring.

Cutest crew on the mountain!

Lilja may hate me for this, but she obviously did this because she knew she was on camera so that's on her.

Harrison thought these two little boys were the coolest kids, ever.  

Just the girls!  (Because the boys ran ahead to try and win another burro ride.)

Aron and the girls.  Happy times at the ghost town.

Everyone was standing together so I asked if I could get a picture.  Then that old man got in the picture and it was perfect.  See that Elvis chapel in the background?  It's pretty creepy on the inside, but awfully adorable on the outside.

Later that afternoon we took everyone to Organ Stop Pizza.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it very much.  Here the organist is playing the song Harrison requested: The Indiana Jones Theme.  

After pizza we went to the Mesa Temple to see the Christmas lights.  We only got separated three times.

These boys.  Can't you just see the mischief in their eyes?  

This is one of my favorite pictures, ever.  Don't know why.  I just love it.

And this is my new favorite picture of Allyn.  She looks like a sparkling diamond.

After Christmas lights we headed to Bahama Bucks for some shaved ice.  Aron filled up a punch card in one visit.  Nice.

That night the kids warmed up in the hot tub and then dared each other to jump in the pool.  There was a lot of happy screaming involved.  

The next day, the Boneys headed to downtown Phoenix to find the fun.  (Spoiler alert: there isn't any.)  The house seemed deathly quiet and my kids were so bored.  We were so happy when they came back and we could have a fun house again.

Thank you so much for driving all the way here and for making our holidays merry and bright!  And thanks for going halfsies on that 40lb bag of oranges.

Cousins!

Oh! what a week we've had!  I had the pleasure of seeing three of my sisters and their families over the last week and my heart grew three sizes.

First my sister, Makenzie, and her family came to visit us on their way to a wedding in Middleofnowhere, AZ.  My kids hadn't seen their Martinez cousins in years.  I spent a lot of time trying to explain who they were.  Ay yay yay.

Gabriel and Miles played games, all sorts.

Harrison and Uncle David also played games.  Harrison was happy to have a formidable opponent.

The little girls played dress up and tea party and makeover and all kinds of things in Chloe's pink room.  

We're so grateful they made the three hour detour to stop and say hi.  I haven't had to explain to my kids who their Martinez cousins are once this whole week.

The day after the Martinez' left our house, we flew to NC.  We spent a day with my sister, Katy, and her family in Wake Forest.  Our stay was brief, but the Coombs' made it count.

The kids played outside with Bryce and their other cousins.  Trampolines are an instant party.

Chloe and Anya made cupcakes for a Family Home Evening treat.  

Miles was a fan.

We played games and ate treats all night long.  It was so fun!  (P.S. Telestrations is my new favorite.)

The girls (all five of them) had school or work the next day, so Bryce represented in our porch picture.  This is soon after Harrison and Miles spent forever on the naughty chair for being The Worst.  Always leave in style, that's what I like to say.

Yep.  This is the best picture I could get with my sister, Allyn.  After a week up in Washington, DC (post soon to come!), we spent a day in Norfolk, VA with the Boneys.

Again we played games and ate treats and laughed until we cried.  Success!

Their backyard is perfect for little boys.  (Good thing, since they have five.)

The kids played baseball all morning and miraculously didn't break any windows.

Noah had an early soccer game, so we dragged the kids out for a porch picture in their pajamas.  I think it made things extra adorable.

Yep.  Three sizes.  At least.