Arizona part I

As most of you know, Jeff works for Milgard Windows. He has been working there the entire time we have been married minus 6 months at the very beginning. Anywho, my Dad and Ruth wanted new windows in their house and so Jeff scored them a deal and we ALL got to come while he installed them! (thanks to a generous airplane ticket provided by Dad and Ruth) So the boys and I stayed for 3 weeks! It was the best vacation. The only thing that could have made it better was if we could have taken the kids with us to California the weekend of Dillon's homecoming. The boys and I met up with friends, but mostly we got up, ate, swam, played the Wii, swam some more, had dessert almost every day and swam some more. I got to read, lay out and just basically do a whole lot of nothing and it was PERFECT. (I even got a tan!) 

I also got to see the actual school that I attend online. It was under construction and blazing hot outside so I didn't hang around to take pictures. Instead I went to the bookstore (my favorite place!) and tried to find a sweatshirt that didn't cost a million dollars. It didn't happen. I was bummed. But I HAD to buy something since I drove all the way over there so I WAY over paid for a very cool cup and straw. It's pink. I love it. I guess having to do homework was the only drag about the vacation, but I got over that quickly. 

My Dad took a TON of family history boxes with him on his move to Arizona and he needed me to help him go through and try to organize it all. We threw a bunch of stuff away that was not really worth anything and we found some really neat things too! Like how my Grandma on my mom's side was friends with President Nixon, my parents sealing certificate, a picture of my Aunt meeting the Queen of England, finding out that one of my direct ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence. I also realized that I'm not the only one in the family that likes to keep pictures and some even did scrapbooks! Who knew it was a family trait? 

I had so much fun, and I really, REALLY didn't want to leave. But responsibilities called and we traveled home. 

But before all of that sadness here are some pictures of the fun times we had!

We met up with my long time friend Tiffany and her 5 cuties. We walked in the heat to the school that served the kids free lunch, talked, the kids played with Legos and really got along great. Tiffany and I have been friends since I was pregnant with Andrew. We have lots of fun memories that we relieved while realizing that it had been WAY TOO LONG since we saw each other! I mean she has had 3 kids since I moved! 

Zack, Elijah, Andrew, CaraMia and Porter (who is the cutest thing EVER!)

I love this face on Porter. 

Ethan found the trains!

Tiffany and I

After we left Tiffany's house we went over and hung out with the Foate's for a little while before leaving for town to meet up with my friend Gailine, her son Nicholas and hubby Dale. Gailine was like my sister when we lived in Maricopa. She fed me, took care of me when I was sick and we had so much fun walking every morning at 5:30am because we were up anyway with the boys. I LOVE that we can not talk for months and pick up right where we left off every single time.